Tag Archives: life

{30-something}

21 Nov
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audrey’s perspective

it’s my birthday weekend!

Fun

classic audge – circa 2006

and i’m trying really hard not to feel lonely, weird, and slightly freaked out.  i kinda wish i could watch that show that was big in the 90’s… it may offer some comfort. but i do know one person that always makes me smile and feel better about life and all its weirdness – the late, great, george carlin.

i thought i’d share this with you in celebration of my “getting older”… you may have already heard or seen this, but it’s worth a second round, for sure!

———

GEORGE CARLIN’S VIEW ON AGING

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions. 

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key. 

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 

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weee!

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16!

And then the greatest day of your life…You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony… YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! 

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! She TURNED; we had to throw her out. There’s no fun now, you’re just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed? 

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happy me, on my 30th

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away.

Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. 

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would! 

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. 

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!  You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.

And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’ 

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’ 

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!! 

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never grow up

HOW TO STAY YOUNG 

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them.’ 

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s. 

4. Enjoy the simple things. 

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 

7. Surround yourself with what you love – whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. 

—— 

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{season’s first snowfall on the tiny house}

14 Nov

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… at least it came a month later than last year!

{a great reminder from the great ee cummings}

9 Nov

{my favourite poet!}

“to be nobody-but-yourself in a world that is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – is to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight… and never stop fighting!”

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{petroglyphs – “rock art” in moab}

4 Nov

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i don’t know if i can find words to express what i felt when i saw these petroglyphs on this huge rock in moab last month… it is beyond fascinating to me.

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notice the 6 toes on the right??!!

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i’m sure i learned about this stuff in science class, but i was just blown away to see it in person!

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so fascinating……….

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what were they trying to say?!?!………….

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what do you all think about this kind of thing?!  does it blow your mind like it does for me?!

😀

{october round-up}

1 Nov

hello, november!

this is definitely my favourite time of year… even though it always shocks my system a little to do this whole daylight-savings-time thing… seriously, my sleep is jacked up for like 2 weeks after that happens.

c’est le vie, eh?! 

at least it won’t be pitch black at 7 a.m. anymore…

anyway, here are a few of my favourite shake-it snaps from recent days. i hope you all had a fun, safe, and happy halloween!

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sopris never gets old…

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this is the time of year when they move the cattle down to graze in different pastures…

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this kind of colour is pretty much totally gone, now…

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but i made sure to soak it all in…

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i just love it…

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mmm, apple pie………….. soooo good!

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i did a little dog-sitting last month… and our shadows were GIANTS! teeeheheeee….

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i also did a little chicken-sitting… and had the freshest eggs i’ve ever eaten!  like, 40 minutes old – fresh!

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frost!

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sopris… again.

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i’ve been making and eating a ton of sauerkraut

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and making and taking a bunch of pointless selfies…

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i dunno, this just looked cool…

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so did this…

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fall!

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this time you couldn’t even see sopris…

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fiery sunsets!

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a rainbow over my tiny house!

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i’m so in love with lense-flare.

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oh yeah, one day i found these guys in a head of broccoli… they both took a poo on my hand – hysterical!

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mmmmmmm, nothing like cozying up by a wood-fire!

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an archery target!  which i SOOOO want to use some day soon!

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weird stuff you find on hikes…

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… like the pumpkin graveyard… 😉

have a great weekend! 

 

{refusing to let go of autumn…}

29 Oct

i went for a hike a couple weeks ago in snowmass, where i used to work last winter.. and i was shocked at how much colour was left on the trees all around!  the aspens were still an amazing mix of colour and no colour… i just love them so much! the peaks were dusted with snow, and it was a sight to behold!

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when i very first came to snowmass last year, it was october 22nd.  it was the day of my interview and i remember seeing very little colour left on the aspens in the area. i though to myself, ‘what a sight this must be in autumn!’ and i was soooo hopeful i would get out to see it this year!  i’m way grateful there was still some amazing colour on the trees and hills in this beautiful mountain town!

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we went on a nice little hike…

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some incredible views!! check out that rainbow of colour! Continue reading

{sometimes you have to first take a leap of faith, then watch as the net appears…}

25 Oct

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{favourite snaps from the week}

24 Oct

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beautifully peculiar sunrise!!!

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on my bike ride to work one morning, i spotted these people riding a 7-seat “conference bike” … they asked if i could take a picture for them, to which i replied, “i would be honoured!  that is the coolest thing i’ve ever seen!” and apparently, former president jimmy carter said the same thing

{that was the best article i could find about this cool device}

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basalt, colorado… which i discovered this week, was apparently volcanic at one time…?!  did you know this?!  i was fascinated to find this out… so crazy!

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yellow!

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i ❤ autumn! Continue reading

{the smallest veggies ever}

20 Oct

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super cute and tiny veggies to enjoy!   Continue reading

{silent sunday : the eyes of the aspens}

19 Oct

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{base jumping – living vicariously through strangers}

15 Oct

during my trip through moab last month, i met some really cool strangers. well now, that’s a funny thing to say – i guess if i “met” them, then they technically weren’t “strangers” …

anyway, it’s kind of a funny story but basically we woke up one morning and these 5 dudes were sleeping in the camp we set up.  it was a little bizarre at first, until we got to talking to them… turns out, they were acrobats. traveling acrobats… from france.  i’m not even kidding.  they are certainly an adventurous crew!

to sum it up – they were creating a documentary style film about their {incredible} travels throughout the US.  they started in NYC {awesome!} and had planned to go to colorado after their stop in moab… and on this particular morning, they were going base jumping just a short walk from where we had camped.  my camera and i were all over that.  unfortunately, i only brought one lense and it doesn’t really capture the whole thing in the way i would’ve preferred, but i think you’ll get the idea…

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huge cliffs… i would say it is 400 feet?  maybe a little less…

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can you spot the tiny little people up there?!  it probably took them an hour and a half to reach the top…

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crazy clouds, little peeps…

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one of them yells…

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and fearlessly runs and plunges full spread-eagle right off the cliff… do you see him?  he is not airborne long before needing to pull the chute-cord….

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and it safely opens, and he lands to the ground…. {*whew*} Continue reading

{TH2 – tiny house update : days 13 & 14}

14 Oct

it’s been far too long since i’ve posted an update on TH2.

to refresh your memory, here is where we last left off… and here are some recent fotos, taken last month.

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by the way, obviously this has taken more than 14 days… it’s merely the way i’m keeping track of the whole project here on the blog… you get it, right?! 😛

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oh, hi.

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windows installed!

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the large front windows/doors provide a ton of natural light, which i love!

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oh, hi… again.

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more to come…

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{good morning, pink bubble gum clouds}

12 Oct

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{just some pics from my week}

11 Oct

happy october!

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happy non-gmo month!!!  yay!

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lovin’ these gloves i scored at a thrift shop…

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they are perfect for halloween! 😉

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stewin’ maters…

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and makin’ ’em into a meaty sauce… nom nom.

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pretty radishes!

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scary spider… but not really that scary.

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frost in the mornings… it’s a regular thing, now.

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feathers on eggs… not a regular thing, but i think it’s SO COOL!

{moab day two : arches and balanced rock}

8 Oct

this place is just so cool… there is so much ENERGY in moab!  i can’t think of what else to say…

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the famous balanced rock…

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and arches everywhere…

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also lots of phallic shapes everywhere… i know you were thinking it – everyone does. Continue reading

{fall is for…}

4 Oct

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wearing beanies…

{crazy over-exposure!}

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and aspens… !

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and buying yourself flowers…

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and eating tomatoes…

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and squeezing in final trips to the farmers market…

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and seeing snowfall above 10K feet…

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and enjoying breezy landscapes…

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and making {chicken tortilla} soup…

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and eating {chicken tortilla} soup!

🙂

hope you all have/had a terrific weekend!

{mercury retrograde : october 4th – 25th}

4 Oct

it’s that time again!

you walk into the other room and suddenly completely forget why you went in there…

that’s right – it’s MERCURY RETROGRADE!

mercury will be taking his backward journey in the sign of scoprio/libra from october 4th through october 25th. as always, MR periods offer a chance for a “do-over” in some areas of our lives.  sometimes people from the past resurface or we get a chance to look at something from a different perspective, and perhaps make a different or more clear decision about it.  MR gets a bad rap, but it can really offer a second-chance in a way, we just have to be open.  mercury retrograde just wants us to consider things from ALL SIDES, and to make decisions from a more introspective mentality.  sometimes we need to see things form a different angle, and that sheds light onto a subject in a way we perhaps hadn’t noticed before.  conversely, sometimes MR periods cast “shadows” on matters… afterall, mercury himself is the epitome of duality – having both equal parts dark and light.  sometimes the key is to trust the saying, “if one door closes, another one will open.” the key is also to go within, and trust your intuition a little more.

some of the other key things to remember during mercury retrograde are as follows…

try not to sign any major documents… and if you must, go over all the paperwork with a fine-tooth comb, as they say, and make sure to “dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s” – MR periods tend to cause our minds to easily overlook small but important details, so it is usually advised that one does not do something like say – purchase a home or sign divorce papers – and the like, during this time.  

allow for extra time during travel… or try not to do too much of it in general – MR periods tend to slow down travel/transportation overall but by allowing for extra time, frustration can be easily avoided. i always suggest leaving the house an extra 10-15 minutes early on your way to work, just in case.

do your best not to make any major decisions… mercury is the ultimate trickster.  it’s important to use this time to “incubate” your thoughts… pay attention to how they may change or how you may suddenly see something in a whole new way.  MR periods have potential to cause confusion, so it is advised to let your thoughts simmer rather than act on them right away.

triple check your work… in going along with “crossing all your t’s” and such {which is kind of a weird thing to say in this modern keyboard-driven technological world we live in}, MR periods beg for us to make sure to pay attention to the details.  it’s easy to forget something that may seem like a habit to you. so just do your best to take a few extra moments to make sure you shut the garage door, replied to that important email, or sent a text to the right person 😐

be conscious of your words and any miscommunication… it’s one of the biggest downfalls of MR periods. sometimes you may just NOT hear someone right, or sometimes you may struggle to find the proper words to express yourself, or sometimes you may misunderstand what a person said – or vice versa.  just slow down, go easy, and remember that it will pass.  and try not to hold a grudge against someone if there in fact is some miscommunication… you can always talk it out after the 25th 🙂

of course, if you are a natal mercury retrograde soul like myself, you always have the green light for any of the things listed above.  it’s not to say that these periods don’t effect us in these categories, it’s just that we have a different way of interacting with the energies, since we live it on a daily basis.

mercury will be traveling through scoprio and libra during these 3 weeks.  some areas of our lives in which MR may have an effect are – divorce, sex, death, rebirth, finances {scorpio} and relationships, partners, clients, fairness, equality {libra}.

if you want to read more of my rants about mercury retrograde events, you can click HERE.

and i hope you backed up your important stuff recently… just sayin’

have fun! ❤

{i’m lovin’ it…}

27 Sep

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…this random hash with onion, garlic, potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, and kale.

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…this. *giggle*

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…subtle reminders.

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…these $5 birks i scored at a thrift store in moab – never been worn!  

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…fresh halibut – worth the splurge!

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…fishin’ somewhere near paonia.

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…creating farm-to-table meals with elk meatballs, wild boletus mushrooms, sauteed swiss chard, fresh salad.

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…my new job.

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…a perfect tomato from a friend’s garden.

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…making wishes at the wishing tree.

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…a beehive, right by my house!

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…the fact that peach season is officially over… i enjoyed one final one for desert after the bronco game. 

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…my tomatoes are finally taking off.

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…tomato bounty!

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…glowing sopris… {and the fact that it’s still been nice enough to even wear sandals!}

enjoy your weekend!

{getting balanced in moab}

19 Sep

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i just returned from a {much needed} camping trip with a special friend and i can’t wait to share more fotos from this awesome desert landscape!  ❤

hope you all enjoy your weekend! 

{ocean clouds}

17 Sep

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when i walked out my door the other morning and saw these clouds, i literally stopped in my tracks and exclaimed, “what the —- {bleep!}!?!” i ran inside to grab my {old, but still working} camera, but the fotos don’t really do it justice.

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it was as if the sky had become the ocean.  the clouds looked like waves crashing on the shoreline.  it was both eerie and awesome. and during editing, i had a little fun with the colours…

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this just makes me miss the ocean, even more.  and it makes me want to be closer to the water, even more.  a plan i am working on making a reality very soon.