January 2021 is treating me well. From winter recreation to Whitefish Winter Carnival merriment to the invigorating inauguration of President Biden, I have a myriad of reasons for celebration.
La Nina may not have delivered the mounds of snow that we expected, but we have enough to support our winter sports, including downhill and cross-country skiing. And it's only January 24; lots of "winter" remains!!!
Last week brought a wild wind storm that tumbled trees and power lines, knocking out power across the valley. We were fortunate to be without electricity for only a few hours; some waited a couple of days! We have newly resolved to purchase a generator.
Whitefish has been the home of the Whitefish Winter Carnival for over 60 years, and I have been fortunate to be involved since the fall of 2019. My main responsibility has been the design and sale of the Carnival buttons, a role I share with another Board member. This year, none of our traditional events will be held as a safety precaution. (If you need a refresher, I wrote extensively about the final weekend of 2020 Carnival in my February 16, 2020 post. My March 2, 2018 post explains many of the other traditions.) This presented an opportunity for the Board to find creative ways to keep the spirit of Carnival alive. The theme SURVIVOR was chosen, and this opened the door to brainstorm "challenges" that could be entertaining and safe. (If you have ever watched the show, you know contestants have to participate in various challenges.)
The community has enthusiastically responded - businesses have helped create and conduct challenges, and people have jumped at the chance for distraction and prizes! To mention just a few: The Great Toilet Paper Challenge required participants to guess the number of toilet paper rolls in the shop window at Imagination Station. The Virtual Penguin Plunge raises money for Special Olympics; by February 6, teams will film themselves "freezin' for a reason" - I surmise this could take many forms! The Stumptown Art Studio is hosting Technicolor Yeti, a ornament painting contest. Double the Bubble, Double the Fun is sponsored by Sage & Cedar; competitors will estimate the number of soap slices sold in 2020. First place wins this stuffed yeti and a slice of soap!
Given my role selling buttons to the businesses, it quickly evolved that I became heavily engaged in coordinating quite a few of the challenges. Imagine my delight when, for my contribution "to the realm", I was knighted last week. The Executive Director of the Museum where I volunteer lured me there early, with the ruse of a special project. Little did I know that the royalty was gathering nearby. I am not on the Board for the recognition, but it is wonderful to be appreciated! (During a knighting, the Prime Minister reads the scroll, King Ullr performs the knighting, and the Queen of the Snows places the ribbon on the new "liege of the realm". The knight is also presented with pins from the King and Prime.) I was so surprised, I was crying - masks are good for more than just viruses!
January has been a historic month in the US for several reasons; for diehard Cleveland Browns fans, the 2020-2021 season marked the first time in 18 years that their beloved team made it to the playoffs! With great anticipation, we gathered around the big screen on January 10 for the match-up with the Steelers. There is no love lost between these long-time rivals, and almost no one was predicting that the Browns could win. But win they did, 48-37. Such vindication, especially considering the head coach, Kevin Stefanski, was sequestered in the basement of his house due to COVID exposure. The following week, we battled with the Kansas City Chiefs, and eventually succumbed 22-17. I think I speak for all the fans when I write that we are very pleased with the season, and are ready for even greater things next season!
Mid-month, I was tickled to get a text from a neighbor, offering us fresh eggs. Together with her husband, she is on 28-day cleanse and couldn't use the abundance produced by her hens. It was fabulous to find this basket on our front porch the next morning; eggs in many colors and sizes, some of them practically luminous. And you know the taste is so much richer and deeper than store eggs!
A friend of ours from Cleveland came for a week-long visit; he just departed yesterday. I have christened Tim the "Best Guest from the Midwest" - he is generous to a fault, and helps around the house during his stay. Apart from our kids, he has been our most frequent visitor and the next time he comes, I will probably have a sign on the guest room door that reads "Tim's Room".
The day we visited Kootenai Falls, a train passed by and our waving prompted the engineer to blow the horn. I love trains!
The month has also seen other blissful moments. The storm I mentioned at the beginning of this post shredded my moose flag beyond further repair, so I purchased a new one. A Christmas gift I ordered for Spousal Unit (chocolate liqueurs) finally arrived. Deer by the creek, captured on my trail cam. A sunrise over Whitefish Mountain Resort on the way to work. The sparkle of a million snowflakes, glistening in the meadow as I ski with Dear Neighbor Friend. We all have our problems, and the world certainly does, but at these times, I am filled with cheer and optimism.
I will leave you with one final video. Winter Carnival conducted a Songwriter's Challenge, with several terrific entries. The winner, "Wake Me" by Big Sky City Lights, is a showcase for the talent that thrives in the Flathead Valley. It is a song about hope, about the journey. It is simple, with a hauntingly beautiful melody. Set in a Montana barn with light snow falling, it gently encourages us - it is "time to start living".
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.
1928. Calvin Coolidge was the U.S. President. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Mickey Mouse appeared in Steamboat Willie. And in December, my Mother was born. We've come a long way in 90 years, and it's a milestone worth celebrating in style. Off we went to Centerville, Ohio, where my Mom and Dad raised 7 children. How appropriate we should come full circle for her birthday bash!
We began with a Friday-night dinner at Bravo, organized by my oldest brother. Our private room was the perfect venue for the kids to play and the adults to visit, circulating around the room to catch up with family that had traveled from Mexico, Texas, Utah, Missouri and Montana. Inevitably, a conversation with 'seasoned' adults leads to health discussions; my Mother and one of my sisters and I compared hands, and notes on joint pain. The next day, 35 family members gathered to fete our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The private room at her senior living community had been decorated with a silver and red theme, red being one of her favorite colors. My oldest sister, the florist, created the centerpieces and a corsage for the guest of honor. As a special touch, she included cardinals (my Mom's favorite bird) in the arrangements. One of my nephews brought balloons for the cake/gift table, which quickly filled up with packages and gift bags. The afternoon flew past with visiting time, the brunch buffet, group photos, and opening gifts.
The entire family contributed pictures that I compiled into a book covering the last 10 years (one of my nieces had previously created a book for Mom for her 80th birthday). In addition to presenting the book to her, I also prepared a slide show that replicated the book. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as we watched the show, accompanied by songs such as "Mother" by Sugarland and "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. While Centerville may be a scant 50 miles from where my Mother was born, in her lifetime she has traveled to Hong Kong and Guam, Germany and the UK, and many states throughout the US. Yes, GG is Still on the Go.
But no family gathering with my Mom is complete without euchre, a card game for 4 that is played with a partner. This day, we conducted a tournament, which meant players moved tables and changed partners after 8 hands. It was an ideal way to mix with each other, with lots of laughter along the way. (Ironically, our daughter won the tournament, and the next highest score was obtained by her boyfriend, a rookie euchre player. Beginner's luck?) The day began to wind down as we enjoyed the chocolate cake with a ganache filling and coconut frosting (Mom's requested cake). And we began to talk about where to hold her 95th party - I have no doubt we'll be having one!
A bar of Huckleberry chocolate was first prize
The next day, Spousal Unit and I went to Mass with my Mom, my younger brother and his wife, and then we drove to Columbus to visit #1 Son. He had planned a couple of activities for us; the first stop was North Market. An indoor public market, it is home to "butchers, bakers and candy makers; fishmongers, greengrocers and restaurateurs". Presented with endless photo opportunities, I had to rein myself in so that we could focus on choosing lunch items from the diverse ethnic options. All three of us selected items at the Polish counter, and the servings were massive.
Fortunately, our next destination was the Columbus Museum of Art; strolling the exhibits staved off the inevitable food coma that sets in after a big meal. Being Sunday, admission was free, and I was delighted to see so many people in the facility, especially with families. Many of the exhibits had areas set aside with activities for kids and adults - what an engaging way to involve everyone in art! And the museum encourages you to take pictures - how refreshing - I did not have to be asked twice. I can't remember the last time I was in an art museum with our kids; viewing the art with our son as a young adult was quite intriguing as we exchanged opinions on the various art forms.
This is for all my crochet buddies out there - a whole room was
decorated in this manner, and had textile-based activities
Artist: Dale Chihuly Work: Isola di San Giacomo in Palude
We concluded the day at a Buffalo Wild Wings, strategically chosen as the venue to watch the Cleveland Browns- Baltimore Ravens football game. Unfortunately, the Browns lost, but they wrapped the season with their best record in over a decade, 7 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie!!! On Monday morning, we returned to Centerville for lunch with my Mom (you just can't resist her sauerkraut soup with home-made bread), and a few rounds of Kings in the Corner.
Back on the road, we motored south to Cincinnati in time to check in at our hotel, catch 40 winks and get dressed up for the 1920's-themed New Year's Eve party hosted by our daughter's employer, a theater in downtown. It felt like an authentic speakeasy; a three-piece band played lounge music downstairs by the bar, and upstairs the crowd was fully vested in gambling with "Monopoly" money. Roulette, blackjack, a money wheel … your winnings could be used to "purchase" raffle tickets - I couldn't believe it when we won a bottle of wine in both drawings!
On New Year's Day, we toured Krohn Conservatory, a Cincinnati favorite at the holidays due to the extensive displays arranged just for the season. The 2018 Holiday Show included fragrant holiday florals, model trains and miniature Cincinnati buildings constructed of natural materials. Applied Imagination, the creative force behind the buildings, also erected small replicas of key American monuments such as The Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. Mind-boggling creativity and attention to detail.
Of course, a US holiday is not complete without some sporting event; we took in the first half of the Rose Bowl, featuring the Ohio State Buckeyes (#1 son is currently attending the school) versus the Washington Huskies. But I needed some shuteye (not as young as I used to be). My oldest sister hosted us for the next two nights, and she didn't bat an eye when we showed up at her house and I practically went straight to bed! (OSU won 28 to 23.)
We had a slow start the next morning since my sister had some business to conduct, and then we had lunch at a Cincinnati institution - Skyline Chili. Driving south into Cincinnati proper, we arrived at Union Terminal, only recently re-opened. The soaring Art Deco masterpiece and a National Historic Landmark, the building is also a museum and cultural center.
We bought Discovery Passes, which offered entry to all the exhibits other than three, special limited engagement displays (IMAX tickets are also sold separately). Dinosaurs, model trains, Legoland and more! The "Public Landing" section re-creates Cincinnati's river heritage as it might have looked in the mid-century. You can walk through historic shops and a steamboat, and learn stories about real-life Cincinnatians. I was transported!
Union Terminal is known for its intricate mosaics, which dominate the main hall
That evening, we chilled out at my sister's house, stitching (that is, my sister and I were stitching) and watching movies. It was a relaxing conclusion to a few days of back-to-back action. An opportunity to ponder and chat about all that had happened since our arrival a few days before. And a chance to gaze forward, to the places, people and events that will be woven into the fabric of 2019.
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. Monday (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.
It's a brisk 47 degrees, and only the incandescent orange and yellow of the aspens brightens the steely, dull sky. It's the sort of day to light an extra candle, pull the blanket a bit tighter around my legs, and slurp deeply from my hazelnut coffee. And to wax lyrical with my end-of-September summary. Here goes: ONE: Getting crafty Cooler temps and shorter days launch me into crafty mode. With great enthusiasm, I have leapt into a new project, 30 cross-stitch ornaments for this year's Christmas tree. I am really enjoying this kit because the designs are simple and it only requires a few hours to complete each one. For me, this means a rapid sense of gratification, compared to many complex pieces that mean months or even years of work. And the designs are SO cute!
Autumn's arrival also means football, and I often marry game time with crafts; I just feel better being productive while supporting the Cleveland Browns (and yes, they finally snapped the 19-game losing streak. Go Browns and Baker Mayfield!) It is a special joy to watch the games in our new screening room; so comfy, and the sound/projection system can't be beat!
(I created the arrangements below before my family's visit in September, but the topic just didn't seem to fit any of my previous posts, so I am wedging it here with my other creative endeavors.)
TWO: Getting lost
As most of you know, Spousal Unit and I are avid hikers. Responsible hikers inform family members of upcoming trips, and we are in that camp. We have a 'system' with our kids that involves sending an email with details on starting and ending points, trail names, etc., along with the appropriate emergency number to call if a designated time passes and we have not been in touch. WELL. This month, I misjudged the duration of a hike, and we had no cell service to contact the kids until 30 minutes after the deadline had passed. So, #1 Daughter had started calling out the cavalry, as she should. To say the least, they were relieved but not entirely happy when we finally got service and checked in. So, we are now the proud owners of a personal locator beacon - a Garmin Inreach, which is very slick. It utilizes satellites, so at any point in time, the kids can log on to a website and determine our location. The Garmin also sends simple texts ("Safe at car") even when we don't have cell service. And it has many other features as well. I think we all feel a bit safer with this (not cheap) valuable tool. THREE: Getting fed Delicious meals in our house are never an issue with Spousal Unit at the helm. In the last couple of weeks, we've had a couple of stand-out dishes worth special mention. As you may recall from my Horses, Homes and Huckleberries post, my Mother harvested the first of our Goodland apples earlier this month, and we have since plucked the remainder from the tree to protect them from bears (good thing we did but more on that later). Utilizing the apples, Spousal Unit concocted an apple/blackberry pie, which we shared with former neighbors visiting from Cleveland. Just scrumptious!
I'm still endeavoring to achieve my 'cook once a week' 2018 goal, and one of the best dishes we've discovered lately is this Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna. Mouthwatering flavors, a pleasant change from a tomato-based lasagna, and pretty healthy to boot with chicken broth and low-fat milk as the base. Perfect for these cuddle-up cool fall evenings!
This time of year, I occasionally treat myself to a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, with a scone. Heaven, just heaven. FOUR: Getting visitors Consider this Chapter Three of our summer visitor series. (See links for Chapter One and Two.) We (re) welcomed two former neighbors from Cleveland, who had been to the house last September, when it had no door or flooring and barely had shingles! To say the least, it was a joy to tour them 'round the finished dream, inside and out! After a scrummy dinner that featured "brisket beyond compare" (per one of our guests), we gathered around the fire pit and caught up on each other's lives. Nothing could have capped the evening with more flair than the pie I already mentioned above. Food coma, anyone?
The next day, we cruised over to Glacier National Park and absorbed the adjectives that rapidly tumbled from our visitors. Until the car became silent, with only strains from Billy Joel's Greatest Hits in the background … I suppose you can run out of ways to describe the soaring, rich grandeur of mountains in autumn.
An overnight light snowfall above 6,000 feet added another dimension to the vistas throughout our drive on Going to the Sun road. At Logan Pass (6,646 feet), the snow and rime coating every flower, blade of grass and tree brought these natural structures into sharp relief against the dark mountains. The 1.5 mile hike (one-way) to Hidden Lake Overlook reminded one of our visitors of scenes from Skyfall. We all marveled in our own ways at the wonderland created by a little H2O.
On our way out of the Park, we stopped at Lake McDonald Lodge, which provided a close-up view of the outcome of the Howe Ridge Fire (see this link for my report on this fire back in August). From ridge to shoreline, the mountain is scorched, with little black matchsticks that used to be towering pines. Without the billowing smoke and leaping flames, it now seems somewhat benign. But we know it consumed 14,522 acres and 13 residences, some of which had been used by the same families for over 70 years. Sobering, and lingering smoke lets us know the fire still smolders, waiting for snow as the final extinguisher. We moved on to Whitefish for a bit of touristy shopping and then wrapped the day with a delightful dinner at Tupelo Grill. (Get the chicken and dumplings - to die for!)
If you look closely, you can see a ribbon of smoke at the base of the mountain
Today, we had a casual breakfast (for Spousal Unit, that's blueberry pancakes, bacon and fruit) before our friends left for the airport. We're pretty sure we can count on a return visit next September!!
Candle gift from our guests; their note in our guest book
FIVE: Getting outdoors
Lest you think everything is perfect in paradise here, I have to report a run-in with elk this week. We've seen them near the lake, and our neighbors have sighted herds of up to 30 in the neighborhood. So, on Monday, when I went on the deck to photograph the moon (nothing worth sharing, by the way), I was thrilled to hear an elk bugling. It sounded close, and I could also hear munching. "Must be a lot of them, and nearby," I mused. I went inside without a second thought. The next morning, this was the view outside the kitchen window - those elk had 'groomed' this maple tree like it was a poodle's tail, leaving only a little pom-pom of leaves at the top. Grrr … I was not happy. As I explored more later that day, I found that they had 'pruned' my Mom's Goodland apple tree (good thing we had harvested the apples, or they would have been elk food!), and had a nibble at Dad's Honeycrisp as well as the other maple. This called for action, so Spousal Unit and I have now added chicken wire above the normal caging for all 4 of these trees. So far, so good this week, and I hope it stays that way!
Wildlife seems to be hiding out - my trail cam photos are mostly deer and elk. The other day, while cleaning the patio, I met this little fellow … I am not entirely sure, but I think it's a garter snake. In the meantime, I was amazed to find this small violet growing near the house, and a harebell plant that sprung up in the middle of a stretch of compacted dirt - nothing else is growing for yards around it. Asters are holding out against the cold mornings and the frost we've had; they almost seem to thrive in it.
And of course, the aspens are gussied up like young ladies heading to prom. I don't know why some are orange or red while the majority are yellow … but then, I don't need to know; it's enough to simply bask in the radiant beauty. Linking to: All Seasons
January 2021 is treating me well. From winter recreation to Whitefish Winter Carnival merriment to the invigorating inauguration of President Biden, I have a myriad of reasons for celebration. 
