Hello everyone.  It’s good to be back! Over a week and I’ve missed my little part of the world here.  🙂

In the last week, I’ve enjoyed Denver, rented the biggest SUV I’ve ever driven (henceforth it will always be known as the Arctic Beast), admired the Rockies on the drive down 70W from Denver to Breckenridge, snowshoed up a hill, hyperventilated a little, skied in 10 inches of fresh powder (heaven), and loved every minute of it.  Colorado is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  I’d been there once before, over 15 years ago, and knew how wonderful a place it was but this trip solidified my love of the fantabulous state.  I’ll show a few pics below.  I wish I had more but I’ll admit that I’m not a good picture taking person.  Even though I remembered to pack the camera, I didn’t always remember to take it with me on out excursions.  So, once again a lack of photos from another vacation but it is what it is.  Be prepared for a lot of snow pics.  I heart snow so much and took many a photo of it.  🙂

I haven’t read much in the last week.  I finished The Lost City of Z by David Grann, which I enjoyed, and only one other book.  The Lost City of Z was an interesting story that really felt like a long historic and scientific based article rather than a book about the Amazon but I still found it a good read.  I’ve yet to write a review and I’m not sure if I’m going to either, since with the holidays ramping up, I’m not sure where I’m going to find the time.  We’ll see how it plays out though.

One book I do plan to write a review of is Jane Eyre.  I’d never read it — I know, I know — it’s been on my shelf forever and this is the first time I’ve picked it up.  OK — dear readers, I hang my head in shame for my negligence.  Now, what did I think about it?  I loved it of course.  Oh, Ms. Bronte, how you drug me into this story and wouldn’t let me leave it.  Jane, you crave love so badly that it’s all you think about.  Yet, for all your neediness, you’re so lovely, so smart, and so grounded.  Dear Jane, you make the story so wonderful.  I kept reading slower and slower as the story went on because I wanted it to last.  I will get around to writing a review of this one very soon.  It’ll be more my thoughts than an actual review since I know, with the exception of me, probably everyone has read this book.

This afternoon we’ll be decorating our tree.  We’re a week behind because of the CO vacation and we ended up with a bigger than usual tree thanks to the fact that about 700 people beat us to the tree place before we got back and we had to go for the over eight foot variety.  It was supposed to be seven to eight feet but I think it was bigger than that.  We had it trimmed down but it still touched the ceiling which it pretty high.  There was a slight Griswold Christmas Vacation moment after bringing it in the house, getting it situated in the tree stand, and then realizing it was crunched up against the ceiling.  Out came the scissors and a ladder and off went the top.  It’s looking good and is ready for lights!  Maybe if I remember to pick up the camera, you’ll get before and after photos sometime this week too.

I hope to get back to a regular schedule this week and plan to have a few reviews posted too.  I had a chance to read a few pages of A Game of Thrones yesterday and may try to get a few more pages in by the glow of our tree later this evening.

Happy Sunday!