Countdown to a new year

As this year winds down, we are taking inventory of the good, the bad and the unmentionable.

My Top Ten for 2007 Countdown

10. The distance between Northeast Ohio and Colorado shrinks with the flurry of emails, telephone calls, letters, and the publication of our online diary to keep friends and family up-to-date (out-of-sight will NOT mean out-of-mind!)

9. Carol hires her management team and staff allowing us to launch in September.

8. Kate and Carol survive their first cross-country trek in record cold temperatures and snow storms in February.

7. Debbie (in May) and Ebie (in September) get married (not to each other -- but to wonderful men who love and appreciate how unique and amazing they are!)

6. Jane decides to accelerate her swimming abilities during Spring Break '07. She completes the entire Red Cross swim class series in four and a half months. And, decides it's high time she joins a swim team since she's probably too young to become a lifeguard in fourth grade.

5. David graduates from Lakewood High School in June.

4. Kate and David start college in August.

3. Carol starts her new career in Fort Collins, Colorado in February. Still can't believe she gets to implement this amazing body of work!

2. Fort Collins becomes our family's new frontier.

1. Joe and Carol celebrate 26 years of marriage in September (and, live to tell about it!)

We hope that 2008 brings much love, good health and happiness to you and those you love. We count your friendship, love, and support among our many blessings each year.

Happy new year!

c

Hot off the presses!

You know you're living in a small town when your cold weather shopping excursion makes the news.....

As seen in today's newspaper:

Michael G. Seamans/The Coloradoan

Mary Bennis, left, of Cleveland, Ohio and Rita Stigalt, right of Parma, Ohio bundle up and brave the elements as the walk down N. College Avenue in Fort Collins on Dec. 27, 2007

c

I love this article

Link through to read The 10 Step Cure for the Post-Christmas Letdown from Dumb Little Man. It's quite insightful.

Jane and I are going to go ice skating this afternoon (photos may/may not follow based on how successful our trip is!) Joe and I have a date to stroll/window shop Old Town. We'll probably drink too much coffee at BeanCycle or Starry Night and spend a huge part of the afternoon at Al's Newstand.

Hope you are kicking off your post-holiday celebration, too!

Slainte!

c

Merry Christmas!

We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas holiday spent with those you love filled with many laughs, surprises and delights. Our day was lovely. Hope yours was, too.

Peace,

c

xxx

When you visit, we can go on MORE brewery tours!

Just in case you might think that Fort Collins is a one-trick pony -- here's evidence that Northern Coloradans are serious about their beer...

Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Fort Collins


[we'll visit A-B to see the local Clydesdale Hamlet - not to actually drink the beer - because, well, we've become bonified beer snobs...although we prefer "connoisseurs." :o) ]

Odell Brewing Company
[The Odell family hails from Shaker Heights, Ohio! Wonderful people making some really great beer.]

Fort Collins Brewery

Big Horn Brewing at CB Potts

Coopersmith's
[We'll go "poolside" to sample their amazing root beer, ginger ale and cream soda while we shoot a few pathetic games of pool!]

c

One of these things is not like the others...

Dropped Kate off at the dorm last Sunday morning - she spent the day in our quiet house studying for final exams and decided to stay overnight. I was struck by how pastoral and serene her residence hall looked against the bright blue sky and fresh snow. And then, her room caught my eye...

If you double-click on the photo you can find Anna and Kate's room, too.

c

When you visit, we'll go to breakfast...

This morning, Kate, Jessica (one of Kate's dorm-mates) and I had breakfast at Vern's. An institution in LaPorte, Colorado - about 15 minutes north of Fort Collins. [And, again - yes, the sky is really this blue in Colorado! Almost every day.]



Vern's is this amazing little diner with timber walls, booths, etc. and the taxidermied head of just about every animal and bird found in Northern Colorado. It's always full of farming families, cowboys (real ones), and not many fussy people. It's just really comfortable. They serve cinnamon rolls the size of dinner plates ("one roll and three forks, please."), sausage gravy and biscuits, every kind of omelet known to man and some pretty incredible green chile pork sauce. Today, all of the animal heads were sporting Santa hats. The black bear was wearing a Santa hat and a white cotton beard. Vern's is always worth the trip.



Across the street you have a wide open view of the northern foothills right before Rist Canyon.



After breakfast, we drove Jessica to Denver to catch a plane to Texas to join her family before they head out to Buffalo for Christmas. Kate and I enjoyed the trip back north singing, talking and taking in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains against that amazing blue sky!

c