Everyone has a brussels sprouts story. This is mine. When we moved to Aspen from Des Moines in 1988, we bought a house that wasn’t grand but situated on lovely property abutting Red Butte Mountain and surrounded by 40-some evergreen trees. Along with moving too many belongings, we also packed up our shovels, pitchforks…
SUMMER’S FLEETING, TIME FOR SLAB PIE
As an amateur photographer, using a point-and-shoot Canon PowerShot which isn’t even manufactured anymore, I have one rule: Never let the picture get in front of the experience. That’s why I missed a magnificent opportunity to photograph the illusive Sharp-shinned Hawk during a recent birding field trip. We were studying the astonishing number of Violet-green…
LIGHTS on BRIGHT in ASPEN
For the previous four winters I’ve emptied my Aspen condo of personal belongings, parking them in my down valley storage unit, and handed my keys to The Gant’s front office personnel. There’s no way to make this easy. Physically, it’s double-duty difficult, packing for a 51/2-month journey while converting my home into rental space. Mentally,…
LIGHTS in PARIS, STILL BRIGHT
Six weeks in Paris. Alone. Studio. 3rd floor walk-up. No elevator. Admit it, right now you’re thinking, shouldn’t she have done this 40 years ago? But, here’s the thing. C’est dommage. I didn’t. Now, three weeks into the journey, I am surprised by its so-far-so-good success. This trip was no whim but a dream which…
PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA*
GOODBYE, COMFORT ZONE….. Last Saturday morning I stopped by a currency bureau to exchange my US $$$ for Euros. Having been in Paris only 3 days, I prepped for the conversation needed for this transaction. As I stepped to the window, I did my spiel en français, and felt quite pleased with my performance. The…
JULY from EVERY ANGLE
Last summer my USFS volunteer colleague, Deb, was on bus duty at the Maroon Bells pick up station. It was July, peak tourist season and we were overwhelmed by the crowds, sometimes welcoming over 1,000 visitors each day. The Bells, a priceless treasure, is the most photographed site in Colorado/Rocky Mountains. After work, during our…
WANT the RAINBOW? WELCOME the RAIN.
Not for one moment do I begrudge water-deprived California a drop of moisture. After suffering through five years of drought, losing 102 million trees in its stricken forests, this state needed a miracle. Obviously Mother Nature heard the plea, tweeted Mt.Olympus and Zeus, the Greek god of clouds, rain, thunder and lightning answered the call….
MONTEREY, STEINBECK & HUMPBACK WHALES
This week’s post, falling on March 17th, was shaping up so nicely. Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a time even for Irish wannabes to make merry. Take advantage of this holiday to laugh and be spontaneously rambunctious. I dare you. Erin Go Bragh. Also worth sharing, my recent 5-day trip to Monterey, a coastal city…
ELOISE of THE PLAZA HOTEL & ME
As I walked to The Gant’s front office recently, I was followed by a young man and his son headed in the same direction. During that 3-4 minute walk, the little guy, probably 6, never stopped asking questions, one after another. Honestly, not one breath. How is that possible? At some point I glanced back,…
MY PARIS KITCHEN KISSES THE BLARNEY STONE
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY Gotta be honest. I’ve not a smidgen of blood – red cells, white cells, platelets, or plasma – that runs Irish. I’m pretty sure David Lebovitz, an American living in Paris and author of My Paris Kitchen, is not Irish either. This week, however, CookTheBookFridays, our international crew cooking its way…
HOPES, DREAMS & GOOD LUCK LENTILS
Last summer a good friend returned to Aspen after a week of sifting through, sorting and discarding boxes she’d left behind in her mother’s attic. “I had so many dreams and hopes back then,” she told me rather regretfully, “that I’ve never fulfilled.” Color me shocked. As she later acknowledged, her life is privileged and…
VIVE LA FRANCE: A TRIBUTE
Last Saturday evening I planned to have dinner with friends before leaving Aspen for the winter. Then, Friday the 13th happened. Paris was bloodied. France, bruised. The six of us, who had all experienced and enjoyed the City of Lights as well as the country itself, were shaken. After watching the events play out throughout…
