Remembering Sue...

 Susan V. Krahenbuhl

November 26, 1960-March 23, 2012

We hold you gently in our hearts

and
think of you with a smile
each time
 we remember the sparkle in your eyes...
the love in your heart...
and
the never ending strength in your spirit.
We see
you in the twinkling stars of the desert night sky...
we hear you
in the soft rustle of the Colorado aspens...
we feel you
in the soothing warmth of the western sun.
You are always with us.
We will
always love you.

"To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die."
~Thomas Campbell,
Hallowed Ground

"Wordless Wednesday...(#6)..."

"Just About Snowbound..."

in Steamboat...Steamboat Springs, Colorado, that is...

well, actually, about 20 miles to the north

near Steamboat Lake.

Scott talked to his brother the other day
and found out that Clark, Colorado had 24 inches of snow in 3 days...
which made the total snowfall in this area upwards of
48+ inches...over four feet deep!
It
also made snow shoeing a very interesting proposition.
"Invigorating"
I believe was the term that was used. :)
Even though we were told you would only sink down
"a foot or so"
in the dry "champagne powder" (so famous in this area)
I can't even imagine what it would be like.
Noooo, not at all!
Not even with a hot sauna to soothe my weary bones afterwards.
Nope!
I'd much rather sit by the roaring fire and sketch...
or watch the silent snow gently fall in the groves of aspens and pines.
Yes, that would be much better...for this desert dweller, me.
(This is a sketch I did when we visited in the fall...
a season I think I much prefer.)
Ooooh, could you please pass the hot chocolate
and stoke the fire a time or two? LOL:)

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up,
snow is exhilarating;
there is really no such thing as bad weather,
only different kinds of good weather."
~John Ruskin

"One Last Homage..."

...to the jubilant color of the glorious Colorado aspen.

Did you know that...

~Aspen trees can be found in every Western state except Hawaii!

~Trees from any one aspen grove are genetically identical.

and because of this

aspens are claimed to be the world's largest

and

perhaps oldest living organism!

~Individual trees are short-lived, but the root stocks of some groves

may date back to the last ice age!

"Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth

seeking the successive autumns."

~George Eliot

"The glittering golden aspen...

What a jewel in the autumnal wardrobe of Mother Nature!"

~Me :)

"In the Distance..."

...are the Maroon Bells....

in Aspen, Colorado...definitely, "God's Country".

I have hiked here several times...

each time feeling like the day was spent in heaven.

I have buckets of photos recording their splendor.

This is my only painting of them...made in 2006

in one of my very first watercolor journals...

long before "Water Blossoms" was even a "twinkle in my eye."

My mind is indelibly seared with their awesome natural beauty...

even though great distance separates us.

"Somewhere we know

that without silence words lose their meaning,

that without listening speaking no longer heals,

that without distance closeness cannot cure."
~Henri Nouwen

Distance of the heart:

Missing those we love...their kiss, their smile, their touch...

Mental distance...

Trying to remember faces, and names, and everyday events...

Distance of times past:

Reminiscing about cozy family gatherings

or

the twinkling of a young child's eyes on Christmas morn...

Distance of Perception:

Wondering what is reality and what is fiction.

Distance...just all by itself...is it

the deal breaker of relationships

or

the thing that makes them grow fonder?

I often wonder.

"How I Felt...

...after the 3rd, and FINAL, Presidential debate tonight:

“I know that you believe you understand

what you think I said,

but

I'm not sure you realize

that what you heard

is

not what I meant.”
~Robert McCloskey

And on that note...I gift you with a bit of tranquility...

compliments of the state of Colorado

...my personal "nirvana".

I desperately feel the need to be in Colorado...

among the aspen

and on a road less travelled.

Photo Credits: Margaret Storer Roche

"Shimmy, Shimmy..."

...Aspen trees...you shake and quake, no doubt...

Shimmy, Shimmy, golden leaves...shake it all about!"

~Me...inspired by Little Anthony & the Imperials :)

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
~Mahatma Gandhi

“Today is life-the only life you are sure of.

Make the most of today. Get interested in something.

Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby.

Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you.

Live today with gusto.”
~Dale Carnegie

“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.”
~Indira Gandhi

"Well I said shake baby shake.

I said shake baby shake.

I said shake it baby shake it,

I said shake baby shake.

Come on over

Whole lot of shakin' goin' on ..."

~Jerry Lee Lewis

Happy Shakin' ...Every Day Counts!

"It's A Brand New Day..."

...and

I wanted each of you to know

my heart simply swells from the thoughts, hugs, comments, and prayers

you so kindly left on yesterday's post.

My Dad's cardiac procedure proved extremely informative

and

even though it was not able to provide

the"easy fix"

we were all hoping for...the future looks

to be positive and hopeful.

My sincerest thanks to each of you...from my whole family.

"Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.”

~Anonymous

Photo Credit: "Soaring Spirit" by Margaret Storer-Roche

Photographed in Clark, Colorado...Fall 2006

"After 500 Inches of Snow..."

" ...Nature finds a way!"

Found growing wild

near one of the footings for the deck of their log home

in Clark Colorado...

20 some miles north of Steamboat Springs.

...My sister-in law Sue's place.

A sign of hope!

"I Miss You..."

Gosh!

Lately, there are some things I have really been missing!

Like green grass, rain, summer flowers, black soil,

my beautiful columbine garden,

and drawing.

Well...

I am on a roll now...

the Maruman_X Project is underway

my fears about starting my book have been squelched

and I am now finding

TIME

to think about this beautiful summer season,

my midwest gardens of the past,

and NEW ART

to make and share with all of you!

This drawing was inspired by a photograph of one of my beautiful

red columbines

and is dedicated to my sister-in-law

Sue

who appreciates the serenity of quiet moments

and is awaiting with hope and courage the

blooming of summer in the beautiful mountains

of her Colorado home.

Sue, I miss you the most!

God Bless!