Help [ME] Ronda

At a Glance...

This past weekend was filled with family & friends.  It always reminds me of how blessed my life is.  Though like most, i have my fair share of trials & tribulations, i am surrounded by love.  Always a good thing isn't it?

Friday night was Anthony's senior prom.  Cheyenne & Anthony asked me to take photos before their dinner.  We, the kids, Cheyenne's mom, & a  very special guest trekked out to our favorite park to document this special date.  Cheyenne looked radiant and you know i am partial to my handsome Antman.  i captured some really great natural moments between these two.  

Yes, Julie was my very special guest on Friday.  She was in Colorado filming Mixed Media Workshop with Jenn Mason.  If you haven't seen previews of their antics on Instragam, it's worth checking out.  We always have a good time when we are together and i always feel refreshed & renewed by our conversations.  

 

 

We went to an opening art exhibit at ArtHaus titled Carte Blanche.  Michael Gadlin, my art instructor & mentor, along with two other artist worked collaboratively with Ron Hicks & Darrell Anderson.  It was fun to walk around with Julie and hear her take on things.  She has a distinct point of view that always challenges the way i see things.  I absolutely love our stimulated conversations.  

Dinner was at the Populist also located in the RiNo district of Denver.  It had a cool vibe of communal dining, almost as if you were sitting around the hearth room table.   The outdoor patio looked inviting but i think it shall keep for warmer nights.  i think Julie & i both loved watching the waiter retrieve wine from the uber cool hole in the floor, other wise known as a cellar.  It was a sight to watch.  

Dinner was tasty and dessert was even tastier.  

Saturday morning was spent on the deck enjoying the beautiful morning and picturesque views but the weather didn't last the day.  By that evening the rain was falling and most of the day Sunday was spent with swirling snowflakes.  Hello Spring in Colorado.  No worries, in true Denver fashion, the snow has already left us thanks to our warm sunshine.  

But i do love the excuse of snow to hunker down with a cup of tea or cocoa and spend the day creating.  i can tell you, after an art filled friday night filled with wonderful conversation, i felt opened and inspired.  Such a lovely place to be. 

it's time & a recipe

i have been progressing but some days i still tire out.  it's been slow going but i see a change.  i feel like each day, things get better & better.  i shared with you my struggles with Trigeminal Neuralgia but there are more to my trials & tribulations.  i have had many other symptoms including digestive issues that my doctors couldn't figure out. The head pain had to be tamed first. My family physician suggested i seek out complementary medicine to help solve my issues because he didn't want me to be on yet another pill. Neither did i! I found an acupuncturist who also holds a master in chinese medicine. After our very thorough and comprehensive first appointment, she laid out a plan for me to help reduce the head pain and then work on my other health issues.  

Each appointment isn't just an acupuncture appointment but we also work on nutrition and lifestyle changes. After the head pain started receeding it was time to work on some digestive issues. She asked me to start by picking one, gluten or dairy/lactose, and elimate it for at least two weeks with no cheating. For me it seemed easier to give up the gluten than to have to give up my Chai teas. i have been gluten free for almost a month now and my digestion system is getting back on track. While i don't have a casein allergy, it does appear i am gluten intolerant. At first the change was a little difficult, now i find myself reveling in the challenge of making gluten free food, including the above flourless cake. If you tell me i cannot have good gluten free foods, the stubborn little girl from childhood says, "just you watch me!" 

 

i have been for a long time now a big supporter of homemade & frozen versus boxed/canned goods but i knew there was more i could do. Having so many pain and health issues, it was finally time to make some more changes. Jennifer tells me that things shouldn't be done in extremes and i agree with her. So my approach to changing some habits has been to do it slowly so that it becomes a lifestyle change and not just a fad. One of the things we decided was for me to shift to Dr. Weil's anti-inflammatory food pyramid. It's time to choose a healthier me, for me & for my family. We are doing this together. They aren't gluten intolerant but since i don't bake with flour anymore, they are making a shift to mostly gluten free. We decided to put in gardens (more on that later) this year to help with my our lifestyle changes. The kids are actually excited about this addition and have been telling me what veggies they want planted and how they want to help. It's quickly become a family project which helps ease the transitions. Week by week i add something from the food pyramid into our "diet" and try eliminating something we don't need. i ask myself: have i had this many servings of [insert food item here] and try to compensate if i haven't or praise myself if i have.  

With all these changes, i have found lots of new recipes that still fit within the food pyramid but also satisfy my cravings like the above "Lara balls." My friend Jessi & i have been comparing garden notes and she has been giving me ideas and sharing recipes. The "Lara balls" are an adaptation of her recipe & this one she sent me.  

• 1 Cup Medjool Dates, pitted
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened Coconut flakes + more to roll
• 1/4 Cup Raw Almonds
• 1/4 Cup Rolled Oats 
• 3 TBS Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

i blended the dates & vanilla first in the food processor before adding in the other ingredients. i added the remaining ingredients and pulsed it a few times to blend it. i laid out some parchment (or wax paper) and rolled the mixture into small balls. Some of them i rolled in more coconut which i happen to love. They are DELICIOUS.  You may not be a date fan, neither are my kids, but you really don't taste them. They just add natural sweet flavoring. i left the "Lara balls" out on the counter and my kids gobbled them up. i did tell them what was in it when i noticed them eating them and after a few moments of shocked faces, they didn't care. They decided these were too good not to eat. In fact one of the kids said, "these taste better than the brownie i had today." The best thing other than their taste is i don't feel guilty about having more than one! 

a Day at the DAM

Last weekend Alexi & i went to the Denver Art Museum, affectionately known as the DAM.  i have been slowly doing "outings" since all the illness and a small trip to the museum seemed doable, especially with a big long nap after.  She had to go for her Art class she is taking at college which just excites me.  It was a great time together as she knows my needs right now.  We also got to compare & contrast our likes as well as talk about the pieces in detail.  

The art muesum often has new exhibits and this latest one was a dream come true to me, Modern Masters: 20th Century Icons from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.  Be still my beating heart.  Van Gogh, Gauguin, Kadinsky, Pollack, Kline, Stills, de Kooning, Motherwell, Rothko, sigh.  i have to say Alexi & I are quite diverse in our tastes.  it really made me laugh.  Despite our difference we we able to enjoy the afternoon together exploring & talking about art.  We aren't allowed to take photos in the exhibit so i purchased a book with lots of wonderful photos of the pieces.  Alexi even used it in her paper for class.  

After spending much time in the Modern Masters, we only went through a few other exhibits/halls at the Denver Art Museum. I was able to take photos in these exhibits. Here are a few that drew me in. These are a recent addition to the exhibit, Epic, drawings by Jospeh Stashkevetch. They are incredible & huge!  

The details on these are incredible.  They looked like photographs until closer inspection.  The lines of the charcoal are beautiful, the way they capture the light & dark.  You really do look like you are looking over the edge in the above piece.  Alexi and i were fascinated by these.  

This is one of my favorite paintings found in the Western Art section of the museum. Unfortunately i don't know the name of it. It is so striking, bright colors on a black background. The brushstokes are fascinating and beautiful.  

Another favorite of mine. The layers of paint to make up this mostly white & black painting is incredible. There is more than meets the eye, with layers of color under the white that make it beautiful.  

Stephen Hannock's Mount Blanca with Ute Creek at Dawn is a mixed media piece, although just a quick glance at it does not seem so. But step up and inspect it closer and you can see all kinds of things in the piece.

including pages from the Lorax

and notes about his late wife.  it is truly a piece that deserves a second look. 

This installation piece of sorts is quite intriguing. i really like how this and her other pieces are arranged. i love the strings hanging down as much as the art in the frames. Annette Messager has a few pieces in this collection and they are equally as cool.

Hammered Copper Cuff

i have a thing for little pieces of jewelry.  i don't have lots of expensive pieces but rather pieces i find unique or that scream ME.  i'm always on the hunt for one of a kind handmade-with-love pieces.  So when i saw Lisa Pace posting on instagram about her jewelry she was making for her etsy shop, i called her up right then & there.  

"Um Lisa Pace!"

"What Ronda Ann? What'd i do?"

"It's not what you did, it's what you're not going to do.  You're not putting that yellow cuff in your store because it's mine.  i want it to buy it before anyone else."

And it is mine; it's the perks of being her friend.  It just came on Tuesday and i fell in love all over again.  The hammered copper flower is stunning with its little pearl and rhinestone top.  The yellow strap is so me!  I wore it yesterday and even decided to take it for another spin today.  It makes me feel like spring is here even if we have undecided weather here in Colorado.  I'm totally digging the other two unique glass pendants as well!  I cannot wait to layer them with a few other necklaces in my stash.  

Lisa has many other bracelets, cuffs, and other one of a kind jewelry pieces up in her shop but they are selling quickly.  She brings together a love of vintage treasures with modern appeal.  Check out her Etsy shop for your unique piece.  You can even drop her a note for a cool custom piece!

Recently

 

i am feeling so much better than i did a month a go.  i must say it's nice not having excruiating head pain.  i am working really hard on a full recovery but also trying not to exhaust myself.  Having Andrew home for three weeks was quite the blessing.  Each time he goes, it's hard on us, even after 3.5 years of doing this.  But while he was home, he tackled some big projects.  

As you know he totally revamped my studio.  i am slowly moving stuff back into the room, being diligent about purging and organizing my supplies.  We took the antique garden gate off the wall of the studio to make room for the wall mounted easels.  it had to go up somewhere in the house so what better room than my kitchen nook.  We have an open floor plan from nook to kitchen to family room.  We spend most of our time here so i thought having the garden gate up on the wall between the windows would be a perfect spot for it.  Andrew always mails us postcards from his travels and now we have the perfect spot to display them.  This way he gets to be part of our meal times.  We will add other snail mail and little notes to it as well.  

The chair back was also hanging up in the studio.  It was an antique chair that one of the kids accidently broke.  Andrew went to throw it away and i stopped him quickly.  i had a vision for that chair back that was left over.  i had bought some vintage faucet knobs a while ago.  i thought they would be stunning on the chair to hold my studio aprons.  i decided to relocate the chair back to the kitchen to hold my other aprons there.  i didn't know i was a collector of aprons but seeing this, i must admit i do have quite a few.  The kids also have aprons as they have always been my helpers.  i love the way the chair looks in the kitchen and am extremely happy it's found a new home.  

Round Here

Happy Thanksgiving!  No matter if you are are in the United States or outside the US, i'm grateful for you.  Yesterday was a day filled with family, friends, laughter, and lots of great food.  i need these days as they rejuvinate me.  Round here life as been moving pretty fast and it's nice to slow down and just be.

Autumn is coming to a close around here and bits of winter are settling in.  i wish the fall colors lasted a bit longer.  They are so beautiful and inspiring.  i am grateful Andrew was home to see some of the changing foilage.  He missed it last year and i like him to have remiders of wonderful life here. 

i love curling up with this magazine at night.  it's like my little reward for a hard day's work.  Flow is a Dutch magazine that is issued internationally a few times a year.  it's such an amazing magazine.  Seriously A-MAZ-ING. 

My sweet nephew Jake is now living with us.  He graduated earlier this year and decided life in Colorado was appealing to him.  It could be the beautiful scenery, the four seasons, the new job, or that his favorite cousins are here.  And you know what, we are really happy to have him here too!

My classes at the Art Student League of Denver are over.  I have much to say on the workshops but that's another post.  My studio is in need of tidying, organizing, and a good thorough scrubbing.  i know it needs to be done but cannot find the time.  But i know i need to make myself do it soon because it's making me moody. 

This was the scene just last week.  i totally love it.  Like really love it.  There's nothing like a cup of hot cocoa while watching the snow gently fall to the ground.  It lasted for a few days which is unusal for here.  It's gone now but here's hoping it will be a White Christmas.  i think we will take advantage though of its absence and get the holiday lights up on the house.  Sounds like a good project for this weekend. 

What are you up to this weekend?

Falling for Prints

The other day i went to take some photos of Anthony in the beautiful Autumn foliage.  I have a favorite place where i have taken many different senior photos.  it's a great park near the house.  Colorado does parks and open spaces very well. 

Of course while i was there, i had to snap some more photos of the trees and leaves.  After all the rain, it's been nice to see the color changes here.  I also started picking up twigs and leaves not quite knowing what i was going to do with them but needed them nonetheless.  Anthony helped.  He's such a good kid. 

As they lay on my desk i decided to pull out my Gelli Arts Printing plate and make a few mono prints hoping they could capture well.  Needless to say i was extremely pleased.  Here are a few more prints i did with the plate and one with just pressing the leaf into the paper. 

I so want to do some more.  I just love the look of these prints.  I am seriously thinking of just framing a couple of the pieces and using them as fall decor. 

Colorado Flood Update

It's hard to believe that Colorado was consumed by rain and flooding just last week.  This picture above was just around the corner, literally, last Sunday.  It's an intersection I visit about once every week or two and to see it like this is unfathomable.  We decided to hunker down and not venture out in order to stay safe.  More reports came in about the devastation.  See this article about the destructiveness of the floods.  All I could do was pray.  We are thankfully safe and our house suffered no damage.  Our sump pump worked overtime and i have never been so grateful for such a piece of equipment that i admit has gone unnoticed until these days.

The rains have receded and the sun has come out giving us hope.  Even though life is slowly returning to normal here, we still have far to go.  People have asked how to help.  Here is a website, Help Colorado Now, detailing ways on how to best help our state, money being the most effective way.  Any donation helps, small or large.  Our beautiful state relys on tourism, especially towns like Estes Park, so once we have rebuilt this state, please do come back.  Once again, thank you for all the emails and comments asking about our safety.  I am deeply, deeply touched.

From Fire to Flood, a devasted state

Last summer our state was on fire.  So many devastating fires, so many homes lost and unfortunately a few lives lost.  This summer it seemed to start off that same way.  Things tapered off a bit and we had a weird but good summer.  We had rain here and there and then days of heat.  This past week while we went from 90 F one day to 65 F the next day.  In came the rain & clouds from across the mountains. 

Wednesday night I went to teach confirmation.  I love teaching the 5th graders & was ready to kick off the new year.  It was chilly & damp, raining off and on all day.  During the last 20 minutes of class, the rain came pouring down.  I mean torrents of rain.  I was trying to make my way home, dashing to the car in between bursts of down pours.  I live 2 miles from my church but the roads were crazy flooded.  One car stalled, you couldn't see the road because they were flooded with buckets of rain, and driving was nerve-wracking to say the least. I made it home safely, happy to be inside with no where pressing to go. 

It rained the whole night, wind whipping against the windows.  The next day images like the one above kept appearing.  This is just down the road from me.  Dams are breaking, roads are being washed out, rivers have taken over control, and lives have been lost.  We are safe & sound.  The sump pump has been running continuously so blessedly no flooding in our basement.  We did have leaks in our roof but again we are blessed for it was over our porch.  We had a quick repair man come out to seal the roof tiles before more rain could get in.  Our family and friends have had some scary moments, power outages, and basically trapped in their homes.  It's just so devastating.  Complete towns being evacuated, lives lost, people unaccounted for, homes & businesses demolished. 

This video is from Rick & Cheryl Grisby, owners of Rocky Mountain Memories in Estes Park.  The town is flooded and the river has caused much damage.  Blessedly the store & their cabin which sits right next to the river has no damage.  They are safe but more rain is expected.  It's hard to sit & watch, not being able to do anything. I keep seeing the rescue planes flying overhead and it just breaks my heart.

I am safe but others are not.  Prayers are welcomed for this area.  We need them as more rain is coming our way.  A big thank you to those who have reached out to me to make sure we are safe.  I am truly truly blessed to know you care so much.

Tales from the Teenager

Anthony is in his last year of high school.  It seems so unreal that my baby boy, who isn't a baby or a boy anymore, is almost ready to leave the nest.  Over the years on this blog, i have tried to be open & honest about his highs & lows with ADHD.  I have documented on scrapbook layouts, even had him write out his perspectives for one.  I really should do that again.  Early this year, he asked to come off his ADHD meds (see this post for details).  While it wasn't quite the year we had hoped for, he actually did better in those last few months off the meds than all year round.  His mood changed dramatically too.  He's a much happier kid.  I honestly wished we would have pulled him off the meds sooner but i cannot beat myself up for the decisions we made in the past.  We move forward.

This year we had a meeting with his counselor.  We always do at the beginning of the year since he's on a 504 plan.  We have had the same high school counselor all four years.  She has been wonderful for us, finding ways to help us communicate with his teachers and building a schedule that's right for him.  This year when we met with her, Anthony knew what he needed and took the initiative to make it happen.  He wanted to have his core classes (Math, English, Science, Social Studies) in the morning when his concentration is at his best.  He looked at his 504 plan with me and offered up some suggestions.  He has taken an active roll in his academics which has made Andrew & i so proud.  It has lightened my worries about next year as he sets off to university on his own.