Mosaic Monday #111: The Twelve Posts of 2020

Here we are, with only five days remaining in 2020.  It has become popular to refer to 2020 as the year everyone is willing to forget without a backward look.  Adios.  Sayonara.  Au Revoir.  In my case, I prefer to cherish the good memories, AND look forward to a return to all that has been missing from our lives.  And what better way to re-visit the happy times of 2020 than to scroll through my blog posts?

In honor of the twelve days of Christmas, I have chosen the dozen posts that stood out for me.  (By the way, I am not referring to the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, but rather the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi.)  I have not attempted to rank them from 1 to 12, but to simply list them in order of appearance.  It's the holidays, and I don't want to make this post any more work than necessary!

Don't Go with the Glaciers - January 19, 2020

This post struck me for its wise words (written to myself!), and this was BEFORE the pandemic struck the US with full force, and BEFORE the election took over our lives.  I wrote about altering reality by taking action.  Ensuring that I have the facts rather than making assumptions.  Ensuring that my picture of reality is balanced.  Continuing to hope.  Note to self - this might be worth reading once a month!

Thank you for being my friend - January 29, 2020

This post was a tribute to my blogging friends as I approached my third year in the blogosphere.  It also featured this photograph, which Spousal Unit selected as the background for our 2020 Christmas card.  I gave him forty to choose from!!!

You "Otter" See This! - March 1, 2020

No explanation required, right?  It was the photogenic otter down by the lake!  

Let's Go to the Beach - April 5, 2020

I think I picked this primarily for its pretty pictures.  Who can resist hibiscus and sunsets?  But it also plucked at the heart strings - don't we all long to return to a world that allows us to jet off to distant countries with nothing more to concern us than making sure we pack a swimsuit and some flip-flops?

Three Years in Montana - May 10, 2020

Being here for three years is reason enough to include this one!  In addition, it contains a fabulous pictorial summary of those 36 months.  It reminded me of flipping through a stack of National Geographics - one grandiose mountain vista after another!  Down-selecting to one shot to include here was incredibly difficult!

Emerging (Part 2) - June 7, 2020

I am a sucker for wildlife, and this post includes beaver and my buddy, the badger.  Plus, Montana was in full spring fling; looking at these photos of flowers and birds now, it is almost hard to imagine that our world was a rainbow rather than the monochromatic palette we have now!

Icing on the Cake - June 28, 2020

This post documents time that I spent with my kids during a trip to Ohio, after the travel restrictions had been lifted.  While we Skype with our children every week whether we are in lockdown or not, I think we would all agree that there is no substitute for seeing family in person.  The visit took on an importance and almost an urgency that would have been missing without the pandemic.  It was a wonderful visit in so many ways.

A-Campin' We Did Go - July 19, 2020

This camping trip catapulted Granite Lake into the top 5 of hikes completed in the last 3 years (and there have been 56 unrepeated hikes in that time - on other words, it has stiff competition).  Of course it deserves to be in the top 12 posts!

Hazy Lazy Days - August 26, 2020

We welcomed #1 Son home with this post.  If that wasn't enough, this is another entry that I chose simply because I liked the photos, and since it linked up with my favorite linky parties.  In hindsight, it was also less than one month before Maggie died.  In this post, she is melting into a sun puddle, one of her favorite places in the house.  

Family Fun - August 30, 2020

This post is about primo family time during a visit from #1 Daughter and The Boyfriend.  With #1 Son already in residence, it made the week even more exceptional.  (and the huckleberry pie with ice cream didn't hurt, either!)

The Maggie Tribute - September 27, 2020

I still "see" her in the house.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could swear I see her perched on the arm of the couch, or curled up on the heating vent.  Occasionally, I imagine that I hear her claws click-clack-clicking on the wood floor.  And then reality comes crashing back and my heart is broken all over again.  She was a huge part of our lives and this tribute had to be in the top 12.

My Escape - October 4, 2020

This is number 12, and ironically, I think it is my overall favorite.  I like the writing style - quite often, my posts take on a travelogue, "just the facts, ma'am" style, whereas this post is more contemplative.  Coincidentally, the book I was reading, "Ring of Bright Water", perfectly suited the post.  The photos are colorful as we entered the fall season.  But perhaps most of all, I imagine this post captured the sentiment that many of us experienced at that moment in history.  

"... it is the best and the worst that one remembers, seldom the mediocrities that lie between and demand no attention."   Ring of Bright Water

I took a few minutes to breathe deeply, attempting to imprint upon my memory the yellow of aspen torches reflected in the water.  How I wanted to freeze this moment, to preserve the profound sense of contentment and ease that permeated my being.  Perhaps the best I can hope for is to remember my escape, and to call forth its restorative powers when I need them next.  I choose to be grateful for the hours of solitude that I had, rather than resentful of leaving them behind.  

From 10/4/2020 post

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #110: Holiday Hijinks

Hello all - #1 Daughter and The Boyfriend arrived on December 12, and it has been non-stop fun.  

The festivities began with cutting down the Christmas tree.  A couple of weeks ago, #1 Son had assisted in tramping around our acreage and down-selecting to five potential candidates.  Each one was marked with a blue tag.  The whole family reviewed the five; it was fairly unanimous that Tree #2 was the best - no bare spots, even all the way around, a nice shape, a good height.

Spousal Unit crept under the boughs and commenced sawing.  Within minutes, the tree fell softly onto the snow below.  #1 Son and The Boyfriend were the obvious choices to carry the tree the quarter of a mile back to the house.

The tree filled the entryway overnight, the tarps underneath catching any melting snow.  Monty the Moose performed his own quality check - only the best tree will do!

While the boys wrestled the tree into the house, #1 Daughter and I fed the hungry birds.  She knew that the chickadees (and sometimes the nuthatches) come to my hand for sunflower seeds, and I wanted her to experience it for herself.  Below is a video with the flying hordes.  I had to laugh a few times, when they landed on my hand as it held the camera!!!  

Decorating the tree consumed most of the next day.  It began with getting the tree into the stand, purpose-built a couple of years ago by Spousal Unit.  With the height and weight of the tree, combined with trying to ensure it is straight, it takes a team!  We normally manage it with three people, but having more hands on deck was immensely helpful!

As we stood back to examine our work, #1 Son suddenly reached forward to catch the tree, which had begun to fall.  Oh my!  Disaster averted!  We had placed some wood blocks under the stump in order to avoid cutting off some of the lower branches, and it simply was not a stable foundation.  So out came the blocks, off came the lower limbs - we observed the tree for some moments and it didn't even wiggle - whew.

Next came the lights, which require a 10-foot ladder to access the top.  We were blessed to have several people comfortable with climbing ladders!   

Traditional Christmas music from our vintage stereo filled the airwaves as we carefully placed the ornaments.  We always enjoy reminiscing about the history of certain ornaments, and this was particularly relevant this year with The Boyfriend part of the process for the first time.  #1 Daughter decorated most of the top of the tree; it was beneficial that this specimen was narrower than in years past so that the ladder could stand closer to the tree.  She was even able to place the angel without the aid of the marshmallow skewer!

(We decided to secure the tree with some thin rope connected the light fixtures on the wall.  It has a slight amount of slack in it, so we can tell if the tree is leaning.  So far?  So good.)  Here is the finished product!  We do believe this is our favorite tree of the three that have graced the house thus far.

Our time together has also included euchre (a card game), board games, jigsaw puzzles, walking in the snow, watching football, movies and more.  One night we made sushi.  I think there is something very bonding about group cooking.

My only trace of sadness is that we are already halfway through their visit!

Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating the season!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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Mosaic Monday #109: Road Trippin', Part V

October 20 - 22: Livin' the High Life

Visiting my brother and his wife comes with several certainties: flying, a garden tour and my sister-in-law's culinary delights.  We scored on all three!  On our first day, Spousal Unit went for the rollercoaster ride of his life -- my brother, along with five of his buddies, went formation flying in experimental aircraft.  (The "experimental" designation has been in place for over 5 decades to denote aircraft built by individuals rather than a commercial company such as Cessna.  Licensed by the FAA, these aircraft are used for non-commercial, recreational purposes.)  Spousal Unit rode with one of the buddies since my brother's plane only accommodates one person.  He said he knew he was in for it when the pilot said "At least we won't be doing negative Gs today."

Below is a video of the plane bearing Spousal Unit.  You can see how it goes practically straight up.  "I was not expecting it.  It feels like your stomach flips over your head!" Spousal Unit explained later.

I was pleased (and not surprised) to see that he was still smiling when he returned.  (And he didn't have to use the barf bag!)

My brother also flies sailplanes, and that is more my speed, so we went up in the afternoon.  In case you are not familiar with this type of aircraft - a sailplane has no engine.  It is towed into the air by another aircraft, and once it reaches an appropriate elevation with promising currents, it is released.  The pilot then must utilize the thermals to keep the sailplane in the air and, preferably, rising to allow for a long ride and to create more options.  On this flight, we ran the ridgeline of the Wasatch Mountains, offering views of Snowbasin Ski Resort and more.

As the passenger, I am sitting in the front of the sailplane, and part of my responsibility is to keep an eye out for other aircraft.  The picture below shows another sailplane, below us. 

The southern end of the ridgeline was anchored by communications towers, which support the nearby Salt Lake City airport.  Don't they look like golf balls?

I am so accustomed to looking UP at mountains, that this perspective was quite refreshing.  As we circled back to the airport, we passed directly over the house - it is to the right of the large green patch you see in the photo.  I imagined waving to Spousal Unit and my sister-in-law, who were busy making a White Chocolate Huckleberry Cheesecake, which has been featured in a past post. 

I regret that I didn't take ANY pictures of the tantalizing food that we ate.  Quite frankly, I was enjoying the meals and the company and it just didn't take priority.  We did copy a couple of the recipes, which you will see at the end of this post.  I am salivating even now as I remember many a tasty morsel!

I did get another sunset photo or two ....

The next morning, before we headed out for a short drive and hike, I climbed the hillside in front of the house - don't they have a marvelous setting?

My brother and his wife share our love of ski resorts; it was delightful to get a short visit of Snowbasin and imagine what it might be like in a month's time.  (Snowbasin typically opens around Thanksgiving.)  From one of the resort parking lots, we embarked on a short hike.  Some of the aspens were still in full color, and the sun was beaming down, encouraging us to shed layers as we strolled along.

In the afternoon, it was Spousal Unit's turn in the sailplane.

Below is a video of the sailplane being towed into the air.  My sister-in-law and I left after this video to do a little shopping in Ogden.  (Little did we know that, when the sailplane reached 2,000 feet, the tow rope broke.  This is a designed feature, called a weak link.  When there is too much turbulence between the tow plane and the sailplane, it is preferable for the weak link to break than to potentially cause problems with the aircraft.  This allows both planes to safely return to the ground.)  This is precisely what they did, and tried again, in an area with less turbulence.  

Our prime destination was the Shepherd's Bush Fine Needlework store.  Back in 2018, when a bunch of my family visited us for the first time in our new home, my sister-in-law gave me this cross-stitch design (among many other goodies). Other projects have taken priority, but now I was ready to "get ready" - I needed fabric!  And if it turned out I fell in love with a couple of other designs, how bad could that be?

Unfortunately, as we discovered when we arrived at the door, the shop is not "open" in the conventional sense.  But the two sisters who run this treasure chest of a store are committed to their customers, and they proceeded to bring fabric samples out to the front step.  Over the next few minutes, they helped me select a fabric and an alternate floss color, not to mention a needle threader (no more licking my floss!) The shop is known for specialty "buttons" as part of cross-stitch designs, and I also purchased the buttons that augment this design.   

(As an aside, I began this project on Thanksgiving weekend.  I am loving the look of it!)

When we returned to the house, I utilized my sister-in-law's sewing studio to put the finishing touches on this pillow for #1 Daughter and The Boyfriend.  (see posts here and here about this project)  I am so grateful for the use of the zipper foot!!!!

By this time, Spousal Unit and my brother had returned from the sailplane ride, and I was delighted to accept my brother's invitation for a more extensive garden tour.  All of my fellow gardeners out there will appreciate the joy of wandering a garden, talking plants and shrubs, pruning, fertilizing, suggestions for alternate plants, challenges and potential solutions.  Oh my!  It was fun.  

We gnoshed on another lovely meal, and there might have been some wine consumed as well.  Lots of laughs - my sister-in-law has a delightful sense of humor, as ably demonstrated by her kitchen cloths!

I was happy to leave them a hand-drawn thank you card, but not happy to leave.  We know we will be back!  A heart-felt thanks to both of them for making this part of our road trip so special.  Until next time!

 Two recipes: Zesty Pumpkin Soup and Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.  Thanks to my SIL for the delicious food!

***I may be slow to comment this week since #1 Daughter and her boyfriend arrived yesterday.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #108: Christmas Spirit

Are you in the Christmas spirit?  How would you describe Christmas spirit?  I think we all know it when it arrives, but can we capture it in words, this force that can be as fleeting as a snowflake landing on your tongue? Perhaps ...

It's a feeling of lightness, a joy that overcomes any problems or burdens.  For me, songs can be a trigger.  Songs such as We Need a Little Christmas and A Marshmallow World.

It's a feeling that makes you want to reach out and hug the person closest to you, even if it's a stranger on the street.  Sometimes, when I am Christmas shopping on my own, I get this little shiver of excitement when I know I have found just the right gift for someone.  Happiness like that should be shared! (and it will be again, post pandemic!)

(I like to treat myself to lunch out, when shopping.  These days, I choose carefully.  And we discovered a new place nearby, the Big Mountain Ciderworks, which produces its own cider and makes great food, too.)

It's the comfort of traditions, which anchor us.  I love it when the emcees announce the arrival of Santa at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and say that Santa heralds the beginning of the holiday season.

It's the deep sense of contentment when the "halls" have been "decked".

It's the awe of strolling through a winter wonderland, each twig and pine needle sparkling with the diamond sheen of hoarfrost.  Does this even come close to the awe the shepherds felt looking upon the manger?

It's the delight of time with family, playing games, baking holiday goodies or just being in the same room.  

(Head Chef developed a recipe for a deliciously warming martini that we have been enjoying regularly.  2 oz. bourbon, 1 oz. apple cider, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, 1/4 oz. orange juice, 1/4 oz. Cointreau)    

(A shout out to Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti for the inspiration and recipe for this Pumpkin Buttermilk Pound Cake.  FABULOUS!)

It's the comfort of crafting/artistry, curled up on the couch near a roaring fire.

It's looking after critters, as they try to survive through the cold and deep snow.

(The chickadees know that I am a source of food. Every time I leave the house when the feeders are empty, they will fly up to me and scold me for my lack of attention.  The video above was taken immediately after the feeder was re-filled - my goodness, what a flurry of activity!)

It's a feeling of warmth, a glow that radiates from within.  Cold can't penetrate it; world news can't put it out.  The Good News prevails.

I pray, as 2020 draws to a close, that you are in good spirits, be they tied to Christmas or another tradition.  From my house to yours, I wish you lightness, joy, comfort, contentment, awe, delight and warmth.  

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter