This isn’t what I normally post about, but I’m a fiber artist and I happened to run across this website since a group I meet with once a month just moved to The Bead Corner in Monument.  The quilt shop where we used to meet, Wild Heather, moved to Denver.  I’ll have to make it to Denver occasionally because Wild Heather carries a lot of neat stuff for fiber artists.  While searching for The Bead Corner, I found this site which lists all the bead shops in Colorado.  So if you like beads, check it out.  Thanks Rocky Mountain Bead Society for making it easier for us to spend money and help the economy!

I had a rare play day yesterday which was full of laughter and camaraderie.  I had committed last year to be a member of the audience during the taping of the online tv show, The Quilt Show.  Tapings are done twice a year and orchestrated by my fellow PDQ guild member, Lilo Bowman.  So yesterday was the big day and I and a friend drove 2 hours to La Veta, CO, a very cute little mountain town, to spend the day participating in the taping of 2 shows.  The taping was done by a very professional and efficient crew.  It was a lot of fun!  I even had the opportunity to be on camera to ask a question of guest, Carol Doak.

The Quilt Show is a great quilter’s site that is hosted by Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson.  HGTV cancelled Alex’s popular Simply Quilts a few years ago and The Quilt Show is the result of filling in that gap.  One thing I like about the site is the series of demonstration videos by Bernina.  I have a Bernina machine and the videos are great for learning new ways to use this powerhouse machine.  One of my favorite features is my needle felting attachment.  It’s a total right brain activity that’s easy to do when I don’t want to have to think too hard.

Over the weekend a local news story told the tale.  A grass fire started near Garden of the Gods and it wasn’t started by any of the usual suspects - lightning, carelessness, wind blown sparks.  Instead, it was started by a squirrel!

Apparently, a squirrel was on the power lines and touched 2 lines at the same time, thus committing squirrel suicide and bursting into flames and falling to the dry landscape below.  This started a grass fire which nearby neighbors held at bay until fire crews arrived to put out the blaze.  So the next time you see a squirrel on the power lines nearby, keep your hose handy.  You might need it.

I am a book fanatic.  I never read just one book.  I usually have at least a half dozen on my bedside table tabbed where I left off when I was in the mood for that topic.  When I check books out at the library I have to make sure I read them straight through or I end up renewing them or paying fines for being overdue.  So lately, I’ve been buying books more trying to keep the bookstores in business and help the economy.

I learned about a book on being a Realtor in the changing real estate market while at the CRS Sellabration in San Francisco last month.  Shift by Gary Keller.  Gary has a lot of great ideas that I rip off and duplicate - the greatest form of flattery - in my business at RE/MAX.  The other book I learned about today from Margaret Kelly as she spoke to the RE/MAX Convention attendees.  (I watched her on the web.)  The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon.  I think I’ll check that one out.  It sounds like it has a story I would enjoy and I can probably read it in one sitting.

Did you know a very small percentage of the US population reads books?  We have a wealth of knowledge from people sharing what has and hasn’t worked in their lives and businesses on the shelves of libraries,  bookstores, and online bookstores all over the country.  I learn so many things that help me in business and in my creative pursuits that I can’t imagine not taking time to sit down with a book each day.

One post leads to another it seems.  In looking for photos of the Collegiate Peaks in Colorado I clicked through one site to another.  In the process I found this great site for South Central Colorado - home of great skiing in winter and white water rafting in summer.  The Arkansas River stretches through this area and passes through the dramatic Rifle Gorge.  If you are planning a Colorado vacation, don’t miss this area of the state.  One of my favorite spots is the Great Sand Dunes.  Amazing!

Yesterday we went skiing at Monarch Mountain.  The snow was great, but you had to know how to keep yourself upright in deep powder to keep from doing a face plant.  As it can be at Monarch, it was cold and snowing and the wind made your cheeks pink riding the lift.  It was a glorious day with great skiing.  Tip for skiing powder:  Keep your ski tips up by redistributing your weight slightly back.

On the way home the clouds lifted and driving past the Collegiate Peaks was spectacular.  Snow covered and massive, they stretch through central Colorado and create a feast for the eyes.

Thanks to my daughter, I am providing you with the link to Track Santa through Norad’s website.  I checked it out.  It’s a fun place for the kids (big and small) to watch the old man with the white beard make his way around the world.  In the meantime, the kids can try out the Kids Countdown page and have some fun while they are waiting for Christmas Eve.

It looks like winter is creeping up on Colorado Springs this year.  We’ve had some absolutely perfect weather recently and intermixed have been a few snowy days.  There is snow on the ground at my house, but two days ago it was balmy and felt like summer was approaching.  The joys of living in Colorado - wait 10 minutes and the weather will change.  If you want to follow what’s happening on the peak, just peek at the Pikes Peak Cam once in awhile.  If you are a Colorado Springs expatriot to somewhere that’s a lot flatter and cloudier :-), you’ll get your “mountain fix”.

This week I spent 2 days at the Colorado Realtor Convention, took some excellent classes, met new people, and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the Broadmoor Hotel.  It is the 5 star golf resort in Colorado Springs and has an amazing history.  Presidents stay there.  Celebrities stay there.  You and I eat there. ;-p  It’s a beautiful location and has awesome restaurants.  Lots of them.  I’ve eaten at many of them.  This time my friend Bob and I caught lunch between classes at the Golden Bee.  Yum!  Great food and the prices were moderate for resort fare.  Check it out.  For a special lunch, reserve a table in the Garden Room at the Tavern.  What a treat!  And while you are there, take a walk around the lake.

 Another great place to spend the night, veg in a rocker on their front porch, relax with an aperitif in the beautiful lounge, and have a fabulous meal, is The Cliff House in Manitou Springs.

Interested in owning a piece of a tropical paradise in Panama?  The latest webinar gives you the scoop.  If you’d like to see what it’s all about click here.  I watched the webinar and this resort looks like a fabulous place!