::: everything is OK :::

::: sound :::

solid walls of sound

Bennie & the Jets, Elton John

buried in sound

Handshake Drugs, Wilco

sound of silence

Sound of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel

::: hidden secrets :::

But above all, watch, with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places
-Roald Dahl

::: eclair :::

“eclair”

1. a  long custard-filled French doughnut

2. delicious

::: incompetent :::

“incompetent”

synonyms: unqualified, inadequate, unfit

antonyms: able, qualified

1. not competent; lacking qualification or ability; incapable: an incompetent candidate.

2. being unable or legally unqualified to perform specified acts or to be held legally responsible for such acts.

::: where is my mind :::

i finally have a official due date, not a month long period when the little one will pop out but a real solid date… december 27th. i am personally hoping for the 29th, while tripp hopes for the 21st. my reasons being that i was born on the 29th of a month (1 month later than when i was due), my mother was born on the 29th of another month, and my little brother was born on a the 29th of yet another month. so in my mind the 29th works well. tripp on the other hand wants the 21st because its before the christmas and new years craziness begins. whenever this well loved little thing makes his or her first appearance we will welcome it.

my most recent challenge with being pregnant is dressing for the cold. denver enjoyed about 1 month of fall and then headed straight into winter. it was 18 degrees this past saturday morning and 23 when i woke up. we even had snow covered roofs around the neighborhood. i personally enjoy the cold, because its  reason to stay at home and be cozy under piles of blankets and cook good, hearty meals. winter in denver means leggings, boots, and socks– none of which are simple to put on when you have a belly the size mine currently is and is going  to grow to be. bending over is simply not fun and just plain exhausting. this morning was the worse and made me out of breath. despite the frustration and exhaustion i get just from getting dressed, i have been making it to work. i am very grateful to the oh, so warm leggings i purchased at sam’s club last weekend. they are made by cuddl duds. yes, they are “technically” long underwear, but honestly in the black color they look like leggings without even  hint that they are long underwear. they are so warm and i highly recommend them for anyone in cold climates and even to those who just need some leggings to wear this winter. i googled them and realized i got one helluva deal at sam’s club! i paid only $10 for my pair, but they sell for $30 on the cuddl duds website:

http://www.cuddlduds.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PW8722

in some other adventures of being pregnant, my mindset has begun to change quite  bit, as have my tv viewing. i have become more and more interested in shows about renovation. i think its the “nesting” kicking in in me. one show i use to regularly flip past, i just can’t get enough of… renovation nation on the green planet station. its really amazing to me the way the green trend is inhabiting so many aspects of life. last night’s episode this couple was using limestone as stucco on the outside of their home and used wood from a lumber supplier with very strict environmental codes and then used no coating of any kind on the wood, so it would age naturally. i highly recommend this show to everyone!

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/renovation-nation/

my blogging interests have swayed away, a bit, from celebrity gossip (though i still do love to see who is wearing what) to architecture, interior design, and… house wife blogs.

http://lifewiththebrocks.blogspot.com/

http://www.designspongeonline.com/

yesterday, with the help of a friend, i switched the guest room with our bedroom. the guest room stays really chilly throughout the winter while our room becomes a sauna, so it was important that the baby’s room be warm. we painted three of the possible paint colors for the baby’s room. the original plan for yellow walls with different kinds of birds hand painted on the walls in shades of blue, along with a large brown tree with leaves. we test painted a buttercup yellow, light moss green, and lighter leaf green yesterday on two different walls (in two different lights) to see which one we liked best. i think i prefer the light moss green, but we are going to stare at them for another week or so before we make the decision. because we have chosen to not find out if we are having a girl or boy and because we want a serene, calming place for his or her room we are definitely sticking with earth tones. stay tuned for more on this…

i thought my energy levels were increasing there for awhile, but now with 2 1/2 months left to go, i find myself frequently out of breath, tired, and unable to get comfortable. the fact that i prefer to sleep on my stomach has become a constant battle with sleep. i am always proud of myself when i get up less than 3 times in a night. last night was one of those nights. i got up twice, both times to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk. there is really nothing like this combination and its even better when enjoyed in the middle of the night when the house is completely silent.

i keep seeing photos of little babies and just can’t wait to meet ours. just imagining a little human being that’s part me and part tripp just makes me so happy.

::: meditations for a clear and pure mind… :::

your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission

- ralph waldo emerson

::: autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower :::

i woke up this morning, something was different,

there was a chill in the air,

and i knew…

autumn had come to coloado…

the air is crisp, time is slowing, the aspens are changing, and there is a bit of magic in the air.

The leaves of the Aspen tree were believed to tremble continually, hence it also being known as the ’shivering tree’. The Greek word ‘kepkis’, which means ’shuttle’, was given to this tree because of the action of the leaves, quivering back and forth all the time. There are many legends connected with the Aspen:

One is thought to stem from the belief that the cross on which Christ was crucified was made from the wood of the Aspen tree. Belief has it that the tree was filled with grief and remorse at being connected with the Crucifixion. The Aspen was the only tree reputed not to bend with compassion as the Passion and continues to tremble as a result.

A traditional legend from Germany is associated with the Holy Family. They were walking in a forest and all the trees bowed reverently. The only tree that didn’t was the Aspen. It is said that the Holy Child cursed the tree, and the leaves began to tremble. It is also said that the tree has continued to do so ever since.

::: don’t try to write your name in the clouds from the ground :::

tower likes to fall and cream likes to spoil
everything living tries to get back to the soil
and what seems right and what’s made for you
false prophecy doesn’t mean prophecies are true

the ground is so proud just to hold us up
we’re a kiss away from being dangerous
kiss me and show me that it’s true
you’re depressed about a thing you don’t really want to do

don’t try to write your name in the clouds from the ground
don’t try to write your name in the clouds from the ground

final cloud architects with GPS
staple-gun carpenters building a 3D mess
we protest, but it doesn’t work again
you’re magic beans mean at least you’ll have one giant friend

the ground is so proud just to hold us up
we’re a kiss away from being dangerous
kiss me and show me that it’s true
you’re depressed about a thing you don’t really want to do

don’t try to write your name in the clouds from the ground
don’t try to write your name in the clouds from the ground

- the long winters, clouds

::: finding your spot :::

i love denver, don’t get me wrong, but i long to live somewhere more serene, more in the middle of nowhere, more off into the distance, more out of reach. i’d say we are on a three to five year plan. so, we have plenty of time to find our spot.

i found this website, find your spot, when i was in college. its compiles a list of places that match your wants, based on your answers to a series of questions regarding everything from crime rate and climate to taxes, education, the arts, and geography. the following is my current list of “spots” according to my wants with a geography limitation of the rocky mountain and pacific northwest areas:

1. ketchikan, alaska- it boasts 278 cloudy days a year and is only 5 blocks wide

2. seward, alaska- with mt. marathon as the backdrop for the small, artsy town it is less then 200 miles from anchorage and is considered the gateway to kenai fjord national park

3. leavenworth, washington- today it is an alpine bavarian village, but it was originally founded by three native american tribes

4. leadville, colorado- was once a large mining town and is now the highest incorporated city in the united states

5. dillon, montana- has a population less than 4,000 people, has a total area of only 1.6 miles, and is the home of a blue ribbon fly fishing river

7. helena, montana

8.  palmer, alaska

9. kalispelli, montana

10. livingston, montana-located on the yellowstone river with a population of 6,851

11. springville, utah

12. divide, colorado- “center of the known universe” is located on the north slope of pike’s peak mountain

13. homer-kenai peninsula, alaska:*

homer pennisula- southernmost town on the contiguous alaska highway system, its first traffic light was installed in 2005

kenai- “alaska’s playground” has a population of 7,464 and is located on the west side of the kenai peninsula near the outlet of the kenai river to the cook inlet of the pacific ocean

14. metaline falls, washington-* in 2003 the population was just 223 and it was town where the film, the postman, was filmed in 1997

15. mt. vernon, washington- known for its annual tulip festival street fair, where millions grow every year, it was rated #1 best small city in america in 1997. it is located on the banks of the skagit river

16. sandpoint, idaho- located on the northern tip of idado on the 43 mile long lake pend oreille, is surrounded by selkikr and cabinet mountains, has a thriving arts community and is home to national retailer, coldwater creek

17. coeur d’alene, id- barbara walters calls it “a little slice of heaven” and included on her list of most fascinating places to visit and in 2007 good morning america broadcasted its christmas lighting ceremony, the largest in the country.

18. steamboat springs, colorado- known as “ski town usa” it has a population of 9,815

19. durango, colorado-organized in september of 1880 by the denver & rio grande railroad, its purpose was to serve the san juan mining district. it is surrounded by the san juan mountains

*= city/town where the aurora borealis is viewable