first snow

homecoming

Coming home last night, just after dark,
I was surprised to find a moon in my tree.

giving thanks

I've been reading a blog I'd like to recommend: No Impact Man

It's a thoughtful, intelligent, well-written blog that focuses on the environmental impact of our choices. This is not a doom and gloom diatribe, but an optimistic experiment in "eco-effective" living.
(And there are links galore to other informative blogs).

I've always lived small and simple. It's a deliberate lifestyle choice.

My family, bless them, have long felt sorry for 'poor Carol' and hoped that maybe someday I would have a bigger house and a newer car and more fashionable clothes to wear. It embarrasses them that I shop in thrift stores and puzzles them that I'm quite content with my low consumption lifestyle.

But, living simply is not about being frugal just to save a dime.
And, for me anyway, it's not about saving the planet. I'm not militant about it, not trying to prove anything, not aiming for sainthood.

It's just that I discovered long ago that living with less felt more abundant and satisfying than living with a long list of wants and desires for more, more, more.

One of my favorite quotes by Lao Tzu is:
"He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough."

I'm so grateful that I've always had enough.

tenacity

one last leaf
hanging on

Luna Love

My friend, NitaLisa, owns a fabulous bead store in Frisco, Colorado.

I took these pictures there in September
just before we left for the bead show.

Imagine shopping with someone who is buying for an entire store! Yikes!
That's why it takes us three whole days. But, oh, the fun we have.

I just got an e-mail from her saying that she had rented more space
to set up a hot glass studio for lampworking, fusing, glass blowing,
and will have room for classes.
She's been wanting to do this for the longest time
and I know it will be a great addition to her store.

So, I just wanted to give her a shot out and wish her luck.
If you are ever up her way, stop by and say hi.

#3051

I'm number 3051.
What number are you?

If you haven't taken the pledge yet, head on over to buyhandmade.org and sign up.
There is power in numbers!

My blue heaven....

The sky over Salida, Colorado
November 1

closed for the winter...

Photo courtesy The Aspen Times

The Twin Lakes Trading Post has closed for the winter.

You wouldn't guess it by the looks of this funky little cabin, but my jewelry sells really well here during the summer months.
Twin Lakes is the last stop before driving over Independence Pass to Aspen, and tourists often pull over here to stretch their legs and look around this collection of rustic little buildings before continuing on to the trendy, wealthy town on the other side of the pass.
But any day now, the high country snows will close Independence Pass for the winter and Twin Lakes and Aspen will be cut off from each other until next summer. Most of the cabins will be buttoned up for their winter hibernation and this area will, for a while, be like the Colorado of old - remote, blanketed in white and blissfully quiet.

Snow

It's snowing in the Colorado high country this morning.

Porcupine Races

Ever feel like you are going as fast as you can and still falling farther and farther behind?

........I encountered a porcupine on the trail as I was trekking to town from my cabin.
I'd heard porcupines are very slow creatures, and apparently not too bright, because when the poor thing spied me, instead of running away, it stayed right beside me and tried to outrun me. I was strolling along at a leisurely pace and that frightened critter was haulin' as fast as it's short little legs could go and it couldn't even keep up with me. So, in just a minute or two, I was able to out-walk it and left it on the trail behind me despite it's frantic efforts to get away.

So, with that in mind, I think I will just slow down today and enjoy the stroll. All this work I'm trying to get done will still be here tomorrow. It's not like it's going anywhere.

blessing the beads

Oh noooo, my neighbors have moved and taken their prayer flags with them!
My little cottage studio sits just beside the neighbor's back yard and the large window above my work table looks out over the wooden fence between us. A few feet beyond the fence is a tall wooden gate which was covered with tattered Tibetan prayer flags. I can just see the top of it over the fence. I loved watching the flags fluttering in the wind and was looking forward to the annual changing of the flags to bright new ones. Just days before they were taken down, I made an effort to get some photos, not knowing they would be gone so soon. I'll miss all those prayers blowing over the fence toward my little home.

Goodbye until next year....

Today was the last local farmer's market of the season.

Nothing more to say.
Just wanted to post some pictures.

Enjoy!