Not sure why...

...but one day I looked down at something as simple as our toothbrushes, and I was very thankful to be married to my best friend.

America's longest running house of....

....what, is in Butte, Montana?

That would be prostitution.  I learned something new about our town tonight.  Not sure how I feel about it, but if any of you come to visit maybe we'll take a tour of the Dumas Brothel Museum. 

It was built in 1890 as a three-level brothel, guess they were busy.

It closed in 1982, making it the longest running house of prostitution in America. Wow.

 

Music Monday on Tuesday

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." V. Hugo

Please don't take this title to mean that I am going to do this music thing with any regularity.  I am not a great planner and don't remember things too well.  We'll see.  To start this tribute to tunes off I am giving a shout out to F.B. Williams.  He has been in Africa for some time and I haven't talked to him in a while.  We have listened to a lot of music on a lot of trips.  I am also going to post 3 videos today.  I figure that 3 is a good way to get this thing going; so if I don't post for a while then I can say this post is for the next 3 tuesdays.  Enjoy!!!

Because of the lyrics:

Because it takes you there:

Because it doesn't get much better:

"Hey, Kids, I heard on the news that an airline pilot spotted Santa's sleigh on it's way in from New York City."

“The most enduring traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin.” Clark W. Griswold

Bare was on his way back from Alabama, but I decided to try to get in the holiday spirit the week after Thanksgiving.  We stored all of our decorations in the garage so I wouldn’t have to dig through boxes in the basement when the time came.  I learned one important lesson—don’t store snow globes in garages in Montana! It was completely frozen—thankfully it did not bust.  Our decorations are going in the basement now!

Our Christmas cards brought lots of smiles! I decided I needed a way to display them, so thanks to Pinterest I came up with this!

This spurred on craftiness in me that I had forgotten about, so I made these! I’ll take orders for next year, but they take FOREVER so request early!!

Bare finally made it back to Montana, so we bought—yes, bought our 1^st Christmas tree! Maybe next year we will go into the mountains of Montana and cut one down, but this year, we relied on the nice guy who lived in the camper to help us pick out the perfect tree! And perfect it is—I can’t bring myself to take it down.

“We're kicking off our fun old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.”

Clark W. Griswold

It was decorated with Bare—not really, but he thought this pun was pretty funny.  He supervised, while I perfectly spaced the red, silver, gold ornaments in my own little OCD way! Our 1^st ornament hung was one of our favorites—a fly—given to us last year by these dear friends.  It only seemed appropriate.

Bare and I started our Christmas a week early in Big Sky thanks to Groupon Getaways! He spent a couple days skiing while I relaxed, read by the fire, and spent a few hours at the spa.

I was on call December 22-25, so we were home—so I baked and baked and baked some more for coworkers, friends, and Christmas dinner—using a total of 34 eggs!!

Many hours were spent listening to holiday music and all the classic movies were watched!

We decided to start a tradition of having seafood on Christmas Eve, so Bare cooked some amazing bacon wrapped scallops, ahi tuna steaks, butternut squash stuffed ravioli and asparagus.  We spent time skyping with the family on Christmas Eve and day, which made being away a little easier.  It was by far, the most laid back Christmas I have ever had, but I guess that’s fine every 30 years or so.

Christmas 2011

We didn’t have any visitors so these words were not murmured— [To Eddie] “Can I get you any more egg nog? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere, leave you for dead?” Clark W. Griswold

For auld lang syne, my dear…

“Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.” ~Bill Vaughn

“But I don’t do either. I’m special.” ~Bare, my husband

“Yes, you are special.” ~Me

 

I have never made a New Year’s resolution. Why, because I do not want to fail, ever.  Perfection is good at times, not so much at others.

If I were to have resolutions, they always seemed so boring and predictable…lose weight, be consistent, keep in touch with others better, pay off debt.  Don’t get me wrong. These are all good things, but something about putting them down in writing.  But not this year, maybe because I’m an official grown-up now—I’m 30 and, I’ve had the same professional job for a year.

So here they are—in print and here’s to 2012.  May it be a year worth living!!

1. Lose weight and Be More Active—the good ‘ole lose weight one. But this summer I want to hike in Montana and Yellowstone without feeling like my chest is going to explode at any moment. And, I only put a swimsuit on once last year, but we are planning to see the beach this summer!
2. Journal—handwritten journals. As a child/teenager I was a diligent “journaler” but starting in college I became “too busy” and only do when I remember…mostly when I’m really anxious or upset about life!  My Mama Jean still gives me a journal each year for Christmas and I plan to start filling them up again.
3. Learn to sew/smock and fly-fish
4. Become a better photographer
5. Start being the wife, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, friend, coworker I want to become.
6. Volunteer
7. Travel and delight in the beauty around me.
8. Read/Finish several Classics—The Scarlet Letter, Jane Erye, Little Women.
9. Be gracious—with my time, money, self
10. Grow spiritually

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.” ~Benjamin Franklin

A little prep session.

WINTER IS COMING!!! George R. R. Martin

I have been reading the Song of Ice and Fire series by the above author lately.  Its a fantasy, sci-fi thing that emphasizes the dreaded coming of  a decades long winter.  I have noticed that the local folks around Montana speak of winter the same.  Fortunately, I have been able to spend some time outside in spite of the cooler temperatures.  But there are times when it is just appropriate to stay inside and dream of warmer weather activities.  Ugly weather and hot coffee precipitated a little tying session this afternoon.  

Dreamy and Giddy

"If I am not going to catch anything, then I'd rather not catch anything on flies."  B. Lawless

So, I have been fishing all my life.  I can remember squalling in between my father's legs while the jon boat pushed off into my family's pond.  It was my first time in a boat, and I was terrified.  I soon became comfortable in/on the water and began fishing for bluegill with cane poles, bobbers, and crickets.  I was hooked (sorry for the play on words).  Who could have known then what my dad was stirring up in me?  I guess I can thank/blame him for this hobby/addiction.  I say addiction because I think about fishing a lot.  Probably too much.  I had a friend ask me the other day, with a condescending tone, if I dream about fishing.  I answered "no" then came clean and said "yes" (head hanging and shoulders drooped).  It's not that I am ashamed for liking to fish but it probably verges on obsession and that probably isn't always a good thing.  Anyway, I have since ventured into the world of fly fishing.  The high church style of fishing in some anglers' eyes.  I can see it.  There are circles of fly fishermen that have a snobby ere that irritates the (enter prefered noun ) out other anglers: fly and non-fly.  I am rambling again.  What I am trying to say is that I don't want to be one of the above curmudgeons.  I like to fly fish because, for me, it puts me a little more in touch with the whole process.  The casting, the visual aspect of luring, the motion or lack there of in enticing a fish.  These are the things that make my palms sweaty and cause me to dream. 

My favorite moment in the entire deal is the half second that a fish strikes.  It sounds stupid to put all this effort into a half second of time I know.  For all the driving, casting, spending money, sunburn, mosquitoes, snakes, and whatever else goes into this stuff, I should get excited for more than just a half second segment.  Well, I do get excited about all the rest.  I love the scenery.  I love being on the water.  I love fishing with friends.  But, I get giddy over the "take." That moment when a fish decides it likes my fly and my presentation and clobbers it, sips it, or even spits it out.  The drama that plays out in that tiny amount of time is why I do it.  Even if I don't actually hook the fish.

The best way for me to be more involved in this process is by tying my own flies.  I sold this to my awesome wife by telling her that would save us money.  I wouldn't have to buy flies if I tied my own.  Well, this could be true if I wasn't constantly scouring the shops for all kinds of materials and colors with which to make things that entice fish.  By tying my own flies I can make tweaks that give a fly a different movement or a more real representation fo what particular fish are eating.  I spend most of my fly tying time trying to create flies that I can see in the water.  Because I want to see the fish eat it.  I am even satisfied watching the fish refuse it.  As long as I get to see it, I feel like I am involved.  And that is the half second I do this for. 

Before we moved I got my brother to build some furniture that would assist in this endeavor.  He is an excellent wood worker, and I get to use his handiwork on a daily basis.  Yes, I tie at least one fly every day,  and I even dream about fly tying every now and then.

My brother's skills.

My skill is cluttering nice things....just ask Natalie

The cabinet that matches the desk.

So here is a sample of some of my functional "art". 

I can't wait to use these last 4 in November.  These I tied especially for my new favorite; the redfish.