Castle Dinner

Last week, a friend of mine Sabrina took me to this castle for a presentation by Wycliffe Association, a Bible translation organization. The story behind this building is fascinating and quite baffling. The founder of Colorado Springs built this for his bride, but when he brought her here after the wedding, she hated it! Why, you may ask? I have no idea. Who would hate living in a castle? Especially one with great views of the Garden of the Gods and the Rocky Mountains!?!? Since she hated it so much, she moved back to where she grew up, New York. 

I have to talk about the food served at the conference because there isn't a word to describe it. First off was tomato soup. I'm not talking Campbell's. I'm talking tomato soup with cream, garlic, rye bread and cream cheese. The first taste, both Sabrina and I looked at each other with wide eyes. "This is so good! I need the recipe!" The meal only got better because steak -- tender, juicy, cooked just right-- was next along with crisp broccoli and an interesting shaped potato. When I say interesting I mean not your typical potato but instead in a square with cheddar cheese on top. The "potato" was the only item that didn't meet the standards of the soup or steak. For dessert.....CHEESECAKE! Those who know me understand and probably shake their heads at my love for this dessert. I can never say no to cheesecake. 

So another adventure in Colorado completed. Dined inside a real castle!

Blizzard Crash

So some of you may have already heard about a car accident I was involved in. Up until that point, I had never had an accident of any kind (other than the ones you have when you're two years old). There are many adjectives I could use to describe my feelings before and after. When I had woken up that morning, I had no idea I would never get to work.

The sadness, sick-to-my-stomach feelings I had that morning are still with me. The day after, I really didn't want to drive but I needed to. I know my co-workers would have understood if I decided to take that day off, but it just didn't feel right knowing that there were no physical aliments resulting from the crash. When I drive past the spot, I can't look. Tears threaten to spill. Fists clench. I breathe slowly and don't look in the rear-view mirror.

I ask myself, why did God allow me to crash? My mom mentioned maybe I would have gotten into a worse crash if I hadn't crashed when I did (which was less than 3 minutes away from my house). Maybe if my steering wheel was operating properly I would have gone into the ditch on the left side of the road and been seriously hurt. Maybe for some reason I wasn't supposed to be a work  today. I may never know the answer to this and as a believer in God works everything for good to those who love Him, there must be a legit reason for this. I just wish I knew now.

Wishing that it never happened won't change the fact that it did. I must dust myself off and learn from this. Looking back, there really isn't any way I could have avoided this. Even if I had gone slower, once I hit that ice, I had no control. I remember feeling dumbfounded at it all because I've been in similar weather conditions and hit ice and managed to hit a snow bank or I stopped just a hair before the car in front of me. I honestly don't know why He didn't save me from this crash, however I do thank Him for keeping me safe. I had asked Him seconds before, "Please keep me safe" and in reality He did....just not in the car's perspective.

Hopefully, I will know soon whether or not the car will be fixed or if we have to figure out how to get a new one. As far as why the accident happened in the first place, I won't know until my summons in July. There are still some things that haven't come to light about the other person.

Blizzards in April should not be happening. Blizzards in general in CO never-mind the tiny town of Falcon are horrible. I must have moved to the wrong state. Granted, the East has had its share of spring storms. We keep saying, "Spring is around the corner........right??!?!?" Already, it's been a crazy year and it's only month 4! We shall see what the rest brings. Whatever state/country you're in -- it's a roller-coaster. Just gotta go for the ride.

All in all, it was a scary experience I hope to never repeat but in the event that it does, I know I have Someone protecting me. Thank you all for praying and being a friend! :D

Will Spring Come?

Across the country, snow has made another appearance and this time it's after the First Day of Spring. In Colorado, bright and early Wednesday morning, we were hit by a blizzard. Seriously. A....real....huge.....blizzard!!!! Just getting out of the house was a chore because the wind blew us sideways. I couldn't even see the car.

Being from Connecticut originally, I'm used to snow, ice and cold but wind hitting you so hard that you can't see where you're going? Nope. Can't say I've experienced that. Driving to work in that....oh...my...word. I can't thank God enough for that red truck in front of me. Honestly, I couldn't see anything else! Not the road, not any of the other cars, not the trees, not ANYTHING. Scariest drive of my life. I'm more certain than ever that God himself or more likely one of the angels drives for me.

Thankfully work closed early and I got to the car around 2:30pm. I had texted Gina in order to let her know that I was on my way home. But before I could even start the car, I got a text back saying, "Wait." I sat there with my mind going in a million different directions. Ok...should I stay in the parking lot for who knows how long? Should I go into the mall and shop? Should I find some place to go? Just by glancing around the lot and the street closest, I could see the mess. The wind was blowing the snow around making the snowflakes dance a tango/foxtrot/salsa/cha-cha all at once. The streets themselves were covered in slush and ice. I guess I'm not going anywhere for awhile......

I had driven my boss and coworker home just around the corner and then stopped to figure out what to do. Wound up going back to my boss's house and stayed there until the roads opened up again.

It wasn't a bad trip home, until about a mile or two before arriving. I started seeing cars stranded alongside of the road. Not just a few. ALOT! I had lost count but it had to be close to 30 cars stuck in the snow. When I had arrived around 7:15 at that point on the journey home, the road was still ice not pavement. Looking at it you'd probably think the road was a bobsled track, no joke.

Home sweet home at almost 8pm that night. I had left my boss's house at 6:45. Normally, it would take me 20 minutes. Yea..... Please let this be the last snow.

Uh, no. We are getting more Friday night. YIKES!

Super Bowl!

So....in case you haven't heard. WE WON THE SUPER BOWL! Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers 24 to 10 :D Never been this excited over a football game. Seriously. Though, they all played a good game aside from Aqib Talib who didn't seem to know how to keep his cool and play like a professional last night. Peyton Manning being 39 years old showed the world that an "old" man still has game!

Apart from the game itself, the commercials are probably one of the highlights and sometimes one of the low-lights. The Doritos ones are always full of laughs, but the mini cooper commercial this year was enlightening.

You can watch it here and comment what you think.

Personally, I found this to be a good reminder not to let others tell you who you are or what you can be. For years, I've heard "You can't," but it wasn't until college where I realize there was a lot I could do. Looking back, I've made quite a list of accomplishments and have continued to pursue my dreams despite challenges. Like Serena, with the right support and mindset no matter the circumstances, you and I define ourselves.

I define myself as a creative writer, storyteller and designer with a love for American Sign Language. How do you define yourself?

Biggest Snowstorm Since 2006

Of course, I have to be in Colorado when a record snowstorm hits. Of course!! Apparently, I bring snow because last year this time I was in CT and it snowed every Monday the month of January.....What did I do to deserve this?

So, we got two and a half feet of snow plus pretty high drifts, around three feet or more. Crazy! This morning we shoveled for about three hours and successfully got two out of the three cars out the driveway. Not quite pretty or at normal speed, but out. Yea....we aren't going anywhere today either. We've been stuck in the house for three days and I'm getting tired of it. If I were still in school, I'd be rejoicing! However, as an adult it can get boring real fast especially when running out of things to do! Thankfully, I do live with a rambunctious family that is full of laughter. I do also have my TV shows I catch up on via Hulu. So I'm not completely bored.

I love snow, but when it comes time to shovel it.....it's a nightmare. So I tend to love snow more when I'm warm and toasty or how the Colorado people say it, "roasty toasty" while looking outside. We did however make snow angels :D

Goats...Yes, I Said Goats!!

So, yesterday a surprise wandered onto our front lawn. Two goats. No idea where they came from. but they were friendly. They even tried to eat off the barren trees and bushes. I found it completely hilarious.

Just a crazy moment in the prairie.

Blizzards on the East Coast vs. the West.....

From my three months living on the prairie, I've met three people from the East. They've all said they will take the West's version of a snowstorm over the East anytime.

Well....I've officially survived my first Colorado blizzard and I have to say....it was scary! Once you've driven past the edge of Colorado Springs, there's nothing. Not even a gas station for two miles. No McDonalds. No CVS! Nothing! The only thing there that will greet you is darkness. There are no street lights so you seriously have to stare at the lights of the car in front of you if you want to reach the land of the living again. Seriously.

Monday night as I was driving back to warmth and safety....though the car was quite comfy if you ignored everything around you....the wind was howling and the snow was going horizontally. That's not supposed to happen. On top of that, we have drifts out here. Half way down the street I live on, there has been a ditch for who knows how long, but when the snow came it kind of got stuck and just pilled up. Driving across it is like driving through a marsh or maybe a ski slope. That was not fun.

In reference to the East, this blizzard happened on Monday and the snow is almost gone. You can barely tell we had a storm much less any amount of snow more than a dusting. In the East...the snow would still be there Christmas Day... just saying. However, I'm not a huge fan of driving in zero viability so honestly, not sure if I like the West's version of snow more than the East or not. Maybe it will be different in other parts of this state.