no friends on a powder day.

There is a saying here in Steamboat and I can only assume any ski town:

No friends on a powder day.

Or more simply put:  

Every man for themselves.

Hell no, I won't wait for you.  

I'm sorry, what was your name again?

It cracks me up how passionate people are about about snow here in Steamboat.  We have a group text going with about 10 people where we text about week night/weekend plans, Broncos game meeting spots and what time people are meeting for skiing etc.  This morning, the first text I saw when waking up was: No friends on a powder day. Basically telling everyone Heck yes we got 12 inches of snow and hell yes I'm going skiing solo on my own time, at my own pace and you can't hold me back!

I remember living in North Dakota and we would get monster snow storms and the town would hardly even blink.  Work never was called off, schools never got a snow day.  Then after moving to Denver...whenever we would get anything more than 3" people would freakkkkk outttttt.  I would always show up at work to an empty office because people were "snowed in".  Internally I would be going mad thinking - "I got here!  Why can't you?!"  I know I was just used to living in ND where I once had to physically hold my drivers side door closed while driving and navigating through 12" of snow on my way to work because the lock on my door was so frozen I couldn't get it closed.  Ha!  That's a pretty extreme example, I know.  All this to say that I'm thrilled to be living in a town that welcomes snow and thrives off huge snow storms again.

I had an acupuncture appointment this morning and there was a little Sorel Boots party at the front door.  Made me giggle!

summer / fall book report

It's been since April since I have blogged a book report, so there are quite a few to document!  I have two notes on my phone of book suggestions.  I bet I add to these lists at least once a week!  Between chatting about books with my girlfriends and my guests at the b+b, I get so many recommendations.  I love it!  Between those two lists and our Olsonfield Book Club, I have enough book suggestions to last me a year.  Also - after writing this point, I realized that I never really explain what the books are about which has never been on purpose but is probably because you can click the link to read a professional  and experienced writer explain the book to you.  I'll just tell you if I liked it or not.  heehee

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physical books read
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If I Stay + Where She Went // These are both YA books, and I gotta say...I loved them.  Ha!  #youngadultatheart  They were a perfect mix of quick reads + chick flick books.  I enjoyed Where She Went more than I enjoyed If I Stay but both of them really were great.  I ended up watching If I Stay as it's now a movie and I sincerely hope that they come out with a movie for Where She Went, too!

Room // Man oh man.  My friend Laura was telling me how she was finishing this book at lunch one day and that evening Mary sent me the movie trailer for it.  I took it as a sign that it was a must read.  This one was absolutely heartbreaking but yet I could not put it down at the same time.  I was trying to explain to a few friends the general idea of the book and they both said "WHY would you want to read a book like that?!"  I can totally understand where they are coming from but as difficult as it was to read knowing that this is very much a reality for many little kiddos.  It was also good and kind of necessary seeing a different perspective on the lives that are lived out there.

A Man Called Ove // Mary picked this one for our Olsonfield Book Club and I think we both agreed it was one of the most touching books we had read in a while!  It was so beautifully written with the slightest bit of an edge.  Hunter and I were driving to Nebraska when I finished this book and I was sobbing at the ending.  I remember putting the book down after I had finished it and looked out the window crying pretty hard and Hunter just softly says "So.....good book?"  Ha! Yeah.  Great book.

The One & Only // I downloaded this book shortly after my the accident - I needed an easy breezy book that I didn't have to pay too much attention to.  It was an mindless read which was just what I was looking for.  I do love me some Emily Griffin but it was just a little odd.  It was good, just kind of a plot twist of a young woman falling in love with her best friend's dad - you don't typically see that in too many books.  Ha!

Let the Great World Spin // Gah - such a great book.  This storyline has maybe 4-5 really solid plot lines with different characters and as the book evolves you get to see how each character is related and their lives intertwine with one another.  I read this on my Kindle and I highlighted at least a dozen different quotes from my book.  My favorite, and one that I think represents the book really well, is "Literature can remind us that not all life is already written down: there are still so many stories to be told."  

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audiobooks listened to
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The Happiness Project // This is the first audiobook I've listened to that I wish I had read versus listen to.  The author narrates the book, which unlike the next book on my list, it totally killed the vibe for me.  This book has so many great stories and reminders on how to live an authentic and truly happy life.  However, the author....well....her voice drove me absolutely crazy.  Ha!  I wouldn't mind purchasing this book to reread it and highlight my favorite parts.  I recommended this book to a friend here in Steamboat - she read it on her e-reader and really loved it.  I'll give it a second shot.

A House in the Sky // This might be one of my top 3 favorite books I've read in 2015.  Unlike The Happiness Project, Amanda the author narrates this book as well and absolutely kills it.  This book is filled with intensity, passion, fear, love, friendships, enemies and growth.  I will likely listen to this book a few more times because it really was that good.  I highly recommend this as an audiobook for anyone looking for a great read { or listen! }.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks // Another absolutely phenomenal book.  This book is filled with so much knowledge and history over health issues that are hugely prominent today.  The day that I had finished listening to this audiobook, I immediately started playing it again.  Hunter and I were on a long road trip and I wanted him to listen to it as I think he would really enjoy it as well.  We didn't get too far the 2nd time through { because we started listening to To Kill a Mockingbird } but with him working in the medical field, I really think he would enjoy listening to this book.

To Kill a Mockingbird // Oh, To Kill a Mockingbird!  A classic, obviously.  But one that I hadn't read { or did I ever even read it?!  I can't remember } since elementary school.  I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed reading { listening } to this.  I was absolutely hooked and took it with me on every afternoon run, cleaning shift and as I was falling asleep at night.  10 out of 10 for sure.

Go Set a Watchman // Ugh.  Go Set a Watchman.  Probably the biggest disappointment in book form that I had experienced in a while.  It wasn't terrible, but following up To Kill a Mockingbird - it was tough.  I know there is so much history and background on these two books and I certainly respect Harper Lee for her talent, but it didn't hold a flame to TKAM.  After finishing this book, I posted an update to my Facebook reading: "All right fellow bookworms - I just finished Go Set a Watchmen and want to hear your thoughts. My initial reaction after finishing the book is that Harper Lee happened to catch Scout on a nasty week of PMS. I want to hear what you think!"  Have you read this?  I'm so curious to hear other's opinions on the book.

Brain on Fire // I was so enthralled in this book for a solid 3/4ths of it - but then the plot took a turn and I 100% hit a wall where I couldn't have cared less how the book ended.  I was disappointed but still respected the story and this woman's experience.

Who Do You Love // Jennifer Weiner is another favorite chick flick author of mine.  I was traveling to Minneapolis for a good friend's wedding and needed an easy ready to listen to on the plane, light-rail etc.  It was good!, but took a little longer than normal to gain momentum.  Loved the way it ended and I was really thankful to have this book with my on my Minnesota trip! 

Walk Two Moons // I just downloaded this book on Audible but have yet to start it.  I'll let you know what I think of it once I start it, though!

the sweet season :: broken down v.6

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 making :: i'm going to spend some time today making christmas ornaments to gift this year!

cooking :: quinoa pizza crust pizza - i've made this twice in the past three weeks and i just love the ease of making it and how tasty it is.  i have more quinoa soaking as we speak for dinner tonight!

drinking :: coffee coffee coffee.  we recently bought a new french press and really love it!  wee!

reading :: as the great world spins.  i had read appx 4 books within maybe a 2 week time frame about a month ago and slightly burned myself out.  i just recently picked this book back up again as it's part of our olsonfield book club and i really am enjoying it!

wanting :: oh man - this is a tough one.  wanting so much and so very little at the same time.  wanting to gain strength to power through confusing and painful moments while wanting to remember how sincerely grateful i am for this chapter in our lives.

looking :: forward to january!  we are in the middle of planning two separate trips with a really wonderful group of friends we've established in steamboat and i just know that both of them will be above and beyond fun.

wasting :: energy thinking about cuddashouldawudda.

learning :: my limits!  both mentally and physically.

wishing ::  a hot tub would show up in my bedroom, please and thank you.

enjoying :: the freedom to go soak in the hot springs at 10am.  there has been some adjustment since switching from my 9-5 to managing the b+b, but without question one great big huge bonus has been the flexibility to ski, soak or sleep at 10am on a thursday.  and i think that is pretty darn cool.

waiting :: for the pain to take a backseat before i go downstairs and start making dinner.

liking :: waking up to snowfall day after day.  i already have busted myself reminiscing about summer days spent in the sunshine and the green grass, but there is something truly beautiful and magical about waking up to the softest of snowfall.  

playing :: settlers of catan!  our good friends terese and koye introduced us to this game a few months ago and we are all shamelessly hooked.  it took a few rounds of playing for me to get the hang of a strategy but i've hit my stride!

wondering :: what the next 3, 6 and 12 months are going to look like.  it feels like that's the same answer i give for this one each time i write one of these posts - but i can't help it!  it's true.  i can often be found reflecting and daydreaming.  what can i say?!

loving :: our local thrift store in steamboat!  i have bought so many awesome home decorations at lift-up but recently they've been 
killing it in the christmas decoration department!  i want to take a trip there again today.  i just love it.

hoping :: for good news, positive vibes and progress made.

marveling :: at the bond of friendships near and far.

smelling :: for my birthday, my sweet friend terese gifted me a himalayan candle + lavender, rosewood, patchouli tea lights.  the scent of the tea lights and the glow from the candle is so relaxing for me.  i've been burning it more when i am feeling anxious and on edge lately and it really aids in calming me down.  i've got it burning right next to me right now!

wearing :: a really cozy bright orange sweater.  the same sweater i wore for our hilarious ski pass photos this year.

noticing :: how much i can relate to different aspects of the lively show podcast.  mary ida introduced me to this podcast and even though i've only listened to 2 episodes so far, i'm thoroughly enjoying how relatable they are.

knowing :: that everything is going to be ok.  that's something hunter say to me on the regular now when i find myself getting worked up over half a dozen different things.  it's such a simple phrase but such a powerfully true phrase that i repeat to myself in some of my more trying moments.

thinking :: it feels good to have this space to express the good, the bad and the ugly days.

feeling :: grateful throughout the chaos.

bookmarking :: different ideas to use in my christmas gift wrapping this year!

opening :: a new case of la croix - the obsession has swept the madfield house!

giggling :: at these two videos { one and two }.  i know, i know.  it's justin.  but something about these videos - guys, i'm a belieber.

needing :: r + r.
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sweet season post volume one and two and three and four and five

an accident.

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ac·ci·dent

ˈaksədənt/

noun

1. 1.

   an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
2. 2. an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause.

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I was in a car accident a little over a month ago.  The details aren't important - the who, what, where, when etc.  There weren't any alcohol, drugs, distracted driving, texting involved at all.  It was a simple left turn at a traffic light when there was a car coming straight towards us.  An honest mistake on our driver's end.  The oncoming car hit us on the passenger side of the car we were in at full speed and the car we were in was totaled.  I was sitting in the front passenger seat so I suffered quite a bit of impact.  It was a situation that happens thousand of times every single day.  Hundred of thousands of times, probably.  The crash could have been so much worse and that's something I remind myself of daily.  Yes, daily.  If the car that hit us was an SUV, if our air bags didn't go off, if a second car hit us or them right after the initial impact, if the car had hit my passenger door straight on, etc. we would have had a seriously different outcome.  The what if list is endless.  

Everyone walked away from the crash.  There was no blood shed from the 7 people who were involved in the accident.  That in and of itself is a miracle.  The thing is, I haven't been the same since this happened.  I am an now an incredibly cautious driver, almost to a fault, taking upwards of 10+ seconds to make a complete turn.  I am an even more skeptical and nervous passenger -  I over-think where in the car I should sit and what would happen if I picked the "wrong" seat.  At my first doctor's appointment for a check-up, I had a complete breakdown trying to explain to my nurse how the crash happened.  Worse than the mental aspect of it, my body is pretty beaten up.  I have constant back and neck pain from the whiplash that I suffered.  I can't go for a run, can't do a workout longer than 15 minutes (and that is even pushing it).  I can't ski.  Walking is painful.  Sitting is painful.  Laying down can even be painful.  Whenever we go for a bite to eat or to grab a drink, I have to visualize where we are going and what their seating looks like.  Do they have wooden seats?  Any cushion on their chairs?  Can we get a booth so I can sit on the cushion part of it?  I have basically have a heating pad glued to my neck and back.  I spend a lot of the day in a state of anxiety.  I truly am so sick of thinking about it.  I'm so sick of talking about it with friends and family.  I want this to be a complete non-issue in my life.  But the irony of it all is I get really anxious when I'm talking with people who don't know about the accident.  Hello!  I'm in a ton of pain over here.  Why can't you tell.  Why aren't you doing anything to help ease my pain?!  It's a complete mind fuck.  I have been going to a physical therapist but at my last appointment he finally said "I'm worried that you aren't getting any better."  It was actually a relief to hear that from him because I was worried I wasn't getting any better.  Hunter was even worried I am not getting any better.  My PT's lightest touch on my neck and back would not only have me wincing in pain but would leave me sore for 24+ hours following my appointment.  

I had about a week's worth of progress last week.  I was feeling really confident and very thankful for some relief from the constant pain.  I got cocky and upped my daily activity.  I went to the gym for 15 minutes on the elliptical 3 days in a row, two of those days even doing 15 minutes walking on the treadmill and then worked two days on my feet for 4 hours at Elevated Olive (my part time gig) and by Friday afternoon I was in tears from the pain and completely sick to my stomach.  This weekend has been challenging because I feel like I took two baby steps forward and a giant leap back.  I scheduled another doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon and have booked an appointment at different PT clinic in town so I know I'm doing everything that I should be doing, it's just beyond frustrating.  I feel so lazy and sick spending hour after hour on the couch with the heating pad, but truly that is the best thing that I can do for myself right now.  Ugh.

I feel so terrible for my friend who was driving the car.  She never intended for any of this to happen - we were on our way to a really great brunch when *bam*.  This situation defines the word accident; an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damange or injury.  Yup - that sums it up.  There was one other person in our car who also was injured and seems to be healing, thank goodness.  Like I said, it could have been so much worse, but this is still a pretty shitty and completely unexpected situation to be in.  

I am forever grateful for Hunter and his patience, his nurturing ways and his extra help around the house lately.  My friends have been so helpful with dropping off dinners/coffee to the house and in general keeping my spirits high.  One of the lovely women who cleans for me at the b+b recently gave Hunter and I free admission to Strawberry Park Hot Springs and a free ride there and back.  I was so humbled by her thoughtfulness knowing at an hour and half soaking in hot springs would be such a great relief for my aches.  I have never been good at asking for help so this situation is certainly humbling and has been a learning experience  I've also been spending time at our gym downtown Steamboat soaking in their hot springs as well.  I am thankful that I have a flexible work schedule right now that allows for me to spend some very needed time in the mornings or afternoons soaking.  I never take those trips for granted.  

Who knows what the future holds, but I hope, wish and pray for answers and some lasting relief.  Only time will tell.

I've said it before but writing things like this out is such a positive outlet for me.  I'm sorry if this post seems whiney but I just needed to get all my thoughts out in one place.

good morning!

Well - it's morning for me.  I have a kale packed smoothing racing through my veins and motivation to hit the ground running today.  I've got a morning trip to the gym then to the DMV and some volunteering with the Arts Council planned for today, followed by a much anticipated PT appointment later this afternoon.

What are you all doing today?!

Check out this amazing photo I took last week on my final descent into Steamboat.  Isn't it spectacular?  I feel so lucky to live where we live.

Have a really superfantastic Tuesday, friends!

whoopz.

You know it's been ages since I've blogged when my computer history doesn't even pull up my blog URL.  *gulp*

It's time to get back into the groove of things.  Things, being blog type things of course.  July to November is simply far too long to go without barfing my thoughts, feelings and photos on to the interweb!  It'll be a gradual process to get me back into weekly blogging, but I'm excited to get there again.

For now - enjoy my favorite photo of Hunter and I taken this past June.

Ahh - summer.  You were a good one.

blink.

Well.  May, June, July you sly little bastards.  You sure snuck in and out without so much as a hello or goodbye!  It's been a while, ol' blog.  Here's a quick { yeah, right.  lengthy } recap of what's been going on in my little neck of the woods!

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I've been baking.  A lot.  This is new territory for me.  I can throw together a Thanksgiving dinner for 13 and barely break a sweat, but ask me to bake muffins / a cake / cupcakes and I tend to spiral out of control.  The thing about running a bed and breakfast is...people expect { rightfully so! } freshly baked goods.  I'm too frugal to go out and buy pre-made muffins / scones / sweet bread every week, so it leaves me with one option, and one option only.  Baking these baked goods myself.  Thankfully I was at my parents house a few weeks back and I was able to get several recipes that my mom made all throughout our childhood.  This has helped me get over my fear of baking because I know what they are supposed to taste / look like so I have a pretty good idea if I'm navigating through the recipe okay.  Scones though?  Uncharted territory for me.  But I loved making them!  I am working on perfecting my bagel forming technique, which you won't find us Madfields upset about.  I've made 3 batches of bagels in 7 days  { enter oinking noises here }, though many of those bagels were used for breakfast sandwiches and served to our guests so technically we haven't ate three batches of bagels.  Technically.

I've been going to LiftUp.  A lot.  LiftUp is our main thrift store in Steamboat and I was afraid of it for the first 12 months I lived here.  Why was I afraid of it?  I'll be frank.  It's a smaller building with tight congested corners and to be honest, more often than not smelled like a giant fart.  However - a few months back I needed to find a few little things for the b&b and refused to pay inflated Steamboat prices in buying these items new, so I took a stroll through LiftUp and hit the jackpot!  I've continued hitting the jackpot week after week since then.  The way I justify this { mostly } weekly visit is that seeing how we've just moved, I will find one or two things I want to get out of the house and donate and oh ok while I'm here dropping these things off I suppose I'll take a stroll through the retail side.  It's ridiculous justifying spending $25 on several boxes of items { they often have 50% off all item specials } because it's been a really fantastic way of filling up our new unfurnished home, which is more than double the size of our last furnished home btw, on a budget.  The second to last time I went, the cashier said "Oh my.  Well don't you have quite an eclectic group of items?"  I wasn't too sure how to respond to that comment, so I just didn't say anything at all.  For being a small establishment, I really have been finding some fantastic finds that add the perfect touch of decor to our home.

I've been drinking iced coffee.  A lot.  What is my method for brewing iced coffee you ask?  It's quite scientific, actually.  I simply bring home the leftover pot of coffee from the bed and breakfast most mornings and pour what is left in the glass pitcher in our fridge that has been designated our iced coffee pitcher.  Sometimes it's with a little cream and sugar.  Sometimes with some Kahlua but mostly just straight coffee and ice.  I chuckle now at Beth 8 months ago who would toy with the idea of giving up coffee and/or having just one cup of coffee each day because Beth now essentially drinks bottomless coffee on the mornings that she works the breakfast shift.  Cooking breakfast for groups morning after morning, I knew it would be easy getting into the routine of making just a little extra frittata or baked french toast to reserve for myself...but I also knew it would add { haha - when I first typed that I accidentally typed ass.  Quite fitting. } up quickly and I would have to kiss my jean size goodbye.  I've gotten into the good habit of just snacking on the fruit if I'm hungry in the AM's, then eating a more balanced and healthy breakfast once I get home.  But coffee?  All bets are off.  There are some mornings where I'll admit to drinking half a pot of coffee before the guests even get out of bed.  Soon I will work to correct that habit, but it's really the furthest thing from my mind right meow.

I've been eating watermelon!  A loooooot!  As in averaging buying one watermelon a week....and Hunter doesn't snack on it nearly as much as I do.  I can't even help it though - I feel like City Market's watermelon's are especially good and juicy + sweet this year and I won't even apologize for it.  When we lived in Washington, fresh watermelon juice with lime was my go-to afternoon drink.  I continue buying watermelon and limes with the intention of making that juice again but sadly both ingredients don't last in our house long enough to hit the juicer.

Mixing our own night caps.  A lot! { hence the limes disappearing before it's time to make juice }....well not a lot because it is quite rare that there are a lot of evenings where Hunter isn't on call or I don't have to wake up at 6am the following morning.  But I declared the summer of 2015 as the Summer of the Night Cap.  We are such beer + wine drinkers that it's really all we've ever kept in our house.  When we moved into our new place we had the perfect spot for a little bar, except the only liquor we had to put on the bar was a nearly empty small bottle of Absolute Vodka and Sailor Jerry's from when I made homemade spiked apple cider last winter.  To remedy this "problem", we made a few trips to the liquor store to stock up on various liquors and have been having fun coming up with different night cap drink recipes.  We typically bring the dranks upstairs to the bedroom and just sit with the windows open and fan on high chatting about our days and the week ahead.  It's a new routine for us and I'm totally loving it.  We've been making Manhattans { and have seriously stepped up our game per Hunter's suggestion on what we use for Manhattans.  I'd been doing it the poor girl way of using Bullet Bourbon with a little maraschino cherry juice, but now we have bitters and vermouth and I will admit they taste far more authentic. }, White Russians, G+T's, mojitos { with the massive amount of fresh mint we grow at the b&b }, vodka sodas - the list goes on!

I've been making lists!  A lot.  Holy heavens, so many lists.  It feels like there are endless things to keep tabs on lately, all b&b related, between schedules, both cleaning and breakfast, menu planning, grocery lists, to do lists, guest check ins/outs, social media lists etc.  My life is one big piece of paper right now and secretly?  I love it.  I've always loved running errands and grocery shopping, which sounds strange when I type it out, but I really do.  I tried a system of list making on my phone to save paper, but I couldn't keep everything straight so I'm finally using up some notebooks I've had for a few years.  I feel like I have a good system down, so we'll see how long that lasts. ;)  A lot of my lists look the same seeing how I do a lot of the same things every day - but if it isn't on that to-do list, it won't get done.  Ha!

Watering our gardennnn!  A lot!  But maybe not as often as I should.  Our landlord's son built us a garden and we've had so very much with planting and watching our little babies grow.  I've come to terms with the fact that I am that person who sits outside with her cup of coffee talking to her plants.  It is so fulfilling watching those little seeds sprout and form plants!  I remember being thrilled beyond belief when not only did our greens come up, bit I could see the shape of kale leaves take place.  Gah.  Proud parents right here!

We've been la-a-a-oving our new house!  We had our eye on renting this house for a few months before we knew it would be available { our good friends live right across the street and gave us the tip to stalk the landlord to keep tabs on when his renter was moving out. }  { Ok, they didn't tell us/me to stalk the landlord necessarily - that was something I decided on all on my own.  But we are here!  Moved in!  Loving life!  So it all worked out.  heeheehee. #stalkerrenter } and the timeline of moving out of our last place and moving into this place worked out pretty perfectly.  It's a really lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in old town Steamboat with a great yard, right across the street from a park with access to mountain bike trails which anyone who knows Hunter knows he HATES the quick access to mtn biking { wink }.  It's only about 5 blocks from the b&b so the mornings when I don't have a strata/waffle mix etc to bring to work with me, I'm able to bike to work!  The size of our house is perfect for what we need - spacious with room for guests (YAY!) with the added bonus of actual privacy when there are more people than just Hunter and I in the house.  In our last house, there was just a sheer curtain separating our room from the kitchen/living room.  Which was charming, for sure - but got a little old.  In this house we have room to spread out if, let's say, one of us wants to take a nap, and the other one wants to catch up on watching Teen Mom 2 online while indulging in the last bit of last night's ice cream.  I MEAN THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE.  Yeah, an "example".  ;)

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I feel like I could go on and on { shocking }, but the moral of the story is that life is good right now.  Really good.  I have an amazing circle of friends, both in Steamboat and my long-distance besties.  I have my mom, dad and sister only a 3 hour drive away now that they moved to Denver about 2 months ago.  I have a loving, handsome, driven and supportive boyfriend.  I have a job that challenges me and allows me so very much creative freedom.