High altitude

Pikes Peak

What I Learned While Living at a High Altitude for One Week

Hubby and I just returned from a glorious, lovely vacation week in Colorado visiting our Besties.  Their home resides at 7,000 feet which, as we learned, dictates a little adjusting.  Felt it was my duty to share the things I learned while living in the air in Colorado in case you decide to take a little trip to the area.

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1. Wildlife does not appear upon command - even at the Zoo.  Many thanks to my "friends" who offered suggestions for drawing bears out of the woods for viewing including "tying a steak around my neck."  I do, however, have to admit that by the end of the week I was so desperate to see a bear that I thought about it.
2. Heavy breathing is acceptable even in non-romantic situations.  Have mercy! It was embarrassing to call friends back home and leave messages.  I am sure several people hung up thinking was some type of pervert leaving a message as it took me several raspy draws of oxygen before I could start speaking.  Perhaps this is the reason I never saw a bear.  They heard me coming from a mile away.
3. Things packed at a low altitude explode when opened at a high altitude.  I experienced this with sunscreen.  Luckily I was on the side of a mountain stream and sunscreen went everywhere and I mean everywhere.  I covered myself, hubby, friends and most of the fish in the stream.  Do fish get sunburned??
4. You get "fluffier" at a high altitude cuz the air is thinner and doesn't hold in your fat.  Bring your big pants.
5. The margin of error while driving up the side of a mountain at 14,000 feet with a 12,000 foot drop off on the left and a shear cliff on the right is.... 0.
6. You not only get "fluffier" but you also burp a lot cuz the air is thin and the burps just jump right out with absolutely no warning!
7. People who live at 7,000 feet do not have air conditioning.  WHAT!!!!!!!  Yes, it is true.  I lived in fear of having a menopausal hot flash and going crazy enough to strip off my clothes to run naked through the yard.  Probably would have seen a bear though.
8. Finally, life is much sweeter when you have good friends to share your experiences.  Love ya David and Marsha.  Thanks for sharing your high-altitude home with us.  It was a blast!!!  Even though we didn't see a bear.

The Storm has passed - for now

The Thanksgiving holiday is over.  I even survived Black Friday while shopping with my 17 year old niece.  After almost 12 years of marriage, we successfully melded an Italian Yankee with a "Suthern" Thanksgiving including 2 types of stuffing - bread (cooked in the turkey) and cornbread.  Everyone ate both!  We dropped the pasta dish in the interest of time and the pumpkin pies were supplemented with banana nut cake.  My Mother-In-Law and Mom had equal cooking duties assisted by my Sister-In-Law and me.  No one got sick (just a wee bit uncomfortable from eating too much) and we shifted, and glided, and rerouted and adjusted to each other with ease.

Of note this year was the subtle shift in the balance of power.  My Mom and Mother-In-Law are slowly handing over the Grand Matriarch duties to my sister-in-law and me.  They both shifted in and out of the kitchen giving some orders as we prepared the last minute food offerings.  We made sure we asked plenty of advice (which quite frankly was needed for the sweet potatoes and bread stuffing) but, for the first time in my memory, they sat in the living room and chatted with the rest of the family.  Hearing their laughter was precious.

This has been a great week.  The kids, grandkids, and my Mom and Dad were in and out, the 2nd floor was full of overnight guests and I constantly cleaned up the kitchen and fed hungry people.  I was the first up but usually the first to bed because I was exhausted from the constant activity and coordination.  We even got the old projector working and watched family movies made 50 years ago.  My poor niece had to sit through five full reels of her Mom and Uncle as little tots but was an awfully good sport.  I caught her slipping in a text message or two but that's ok.  

THIS is what life is all about.  Family, friends, laughter and remembering the good times from the past and making new memories with the younger generation.  I made sure my niece got a big hug every a.m. from her Auntie Cheryl so she would go home with a big store of love.  The only thing that is missing are the movies she needs to show her kids when they are teenagers but I have TONS of scrapbooks she will be able to show them and, of course, The Southern Belle Blog to read.  :-)

God is truly good and has blessed this family to overflowing.  We are healthy, have everything we need and most of what we want.  I am truly grateful and hope the same for each of you.