Jason and jenn

Merry Christmas! (Okay, the day after)

Today we dug out from a big storm that hit on Christmas Day. It started snowing and we weren’t sure it was going to stop. We went skiing on Tuesday and there was a little bit of powder on some runs, and then on Christmas day we went again and were skiing waist deep powder with billows of snow flying over our heads at times and falls made you disappear. It was the kind of snow you dream of. Where black runs are the only thing worth skiing because you can’t get enough speed on anything else to plow through!

Christmas was good, although we missed friends and family terribly. We hope you had a good Christmas and are well. Here’s hoping to another great year in 2009.

Well, it’s almost Christmas and the weather here is much more seasonal than it was before we went home to Kentucky. It’s been below zero every morning since we’ve returned, and is due to get to -20 tonight.  We’ve been decorating the house for Christmas. We made a cool ski rack to hold our quiver of skis that are accumulating rapidly. Yesterday we skiied out to cut a tree and pulled it out with the pulk sled I constructed.  It was about 15 degrees but sunny and not windy so it was great. We got to make a few turns as well… nothing to write home about… but it seems I just did anyway! Last night was jenn’s boss’s 50th birthday party. He’s a old hippie at heart and a really good guy. We were all supposed to come dressed as him, and jenn outdid herself by making a fake mustache.

Here are some pictures:

We visited Kentucky last week. It was a whirlwind of a trip for sure, and while we hated not seeing everyone we wanted to see, it was nearly just as bad visiting with the few we did get to visit, because conversations were cut short, and there just wasn’t enough time. How can you tell someone, “well, we’ve got one hour, so make it good”. Not possible. Still it was a great visit and it made us realize how much we miss our family and friends. So many good people.

Back in Wyoming it is 4 below and the ground is covered with snow. Pinedale put up its Christmas lights while we were away, and that was a treat to come home to.

Now my coffee demands attention. Be well. Stay warm.

winter is trying to arrive. we have had light flurries the last few days, the mountains hidden in the clouds, and cold temps have stuck around. we are house/dog sitting at the moment for our friend jes and i (jenn) took the pups on a walk this morning. they played in the park and we went to the post office and the coffee shop. all the while the snowflakes came down. small and perfect… holding their shape as they landed in my hair and on my jacket. each one different, each one beautiful.  i am embarking on a little soul journey and looking for good in others, in each day, and in myself. i feel i’ve been in a bit of a rut lately and i hope while i am looking, i grow and learn, and bring joy to others. and today, i learned something from the snowflakes.    -jenn

Lately we have taken to baking our own bread. Well, mostly me, for some reason. Jenn says she’s going to get me an apron for Christmas.

It started by wanting to know exactly what was in my food, and then there’s the fact that we live in a cold climate, and baking bread helps heat the house. Really, the oven is likely just as efficient at heating as the baseboard heat we rely on! I baked 3 loaves with whole grain and organic flours and they turned out great. I kneaded and punched the dough by hand, which seemed more like fun than work (i’m still new), and the smells alone seemed reason enough to bake!

Today, we decided to have a lunch of Amy’s Tomato Bisque soup (our favorite!) and wanted a cheese quesadilla to go with it. I remembered that we only had one little store-bought tortilla and decided to try making my own! 1 cup of organic flour, a half tablespoon of butter, a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking powder, and 3/8s cup of water. I rolled them out as flat and as round as I could and pan cooked them (no oiling the pan!) Our fresh tortillas with melted cheese and warm soup was a great lunch and we were happy. Really, just simple happiness from making tortillas.  I don’t know that we’ll never buy tortillas again, but wow, fresh homemade stuff just tastes so much better! And while that sounds so obvious, I’m not sure that it really is.

It is amazing what passes for food in our kitchens.  One of the few things that bugs us about living in Pinedale is that the growing season is so short that it can not include wonderful fresh produce like we got while living in Kentucky, Utah, and California. The local CSA that visited us weekly in Sequoia was especially spoiling.  Now with winter coming we are prepared to not get as many wholesome fresh veggies and fruits, but we’ll supplement the bland stuff with fresh bread whenever we can! Next project, roasting my own coffee!!