The Artist in Me - Stranded on The Mountain

I've heard that those who are artistic can be eccentric. Dramatic? A little crazy?

Living on the guest ranch in the off season is a very different experience. One day it's a busy little valley with people coming and going. The next day it's a ghost town.  A cold ghost town. And just as the summer nights meant hours of sun, the winter brings the endless darkness. Sunsets at 4:30 anyone?

Then comes the wind. Howling like a lonely wolf lost from it's pack. Whipping through the roof and the trees and the canyon. We get winter storm warnings that state 90 mile an hour winds in the mountain passes. Uh, yeah, that's our mountain by the way!

Adventure Man would take the kids to the bus stop. During one wind storm the bus was having a hard time keeping the door open. When Adventure Man lunged to save a little girl from getting hit with the flapping door he let go of Bear. Bear was picked up and flew three feet before Adventure Man grabbed him again! Granted, Bears not too big, but still! 

Then there where times when the wind would blow the snow in drifts into the road of our mountain pass and we'd be snowed in. Up here in the north, we don't have snow days. The schools don't cancel! But the two families who live up on the mountain? Well we had snow days! Sometimes for days and days! 

What did I do with my time while sitting atop that beautiful, dark, cold mountain? 

I started this blog, of course!  

And what did my kids do while the wind blew and the power flickered? 

Yeah, you get the idea... 

All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl. All work and no play makes Kristen a dull girl......... 

Photo credit to:
Top: Adventure Man
Bottom two: screen shot of movie The Shining 
All edited by me on Snapseed

Dying A Little

Change

Our roads sometimes turn in ways we do not see. Change can bring the snow after the wind has stripped the trees of their color. 

And sometimes change can bring the moving van. 

Yes that's right, we are moving on. To another resort where we will have more stories to tell. So stay tuned for some changes in 2014! 

But until then, I'm trying to keep the baby off the boxes! 

Heaven help me! She climbed up there herself! Yikes! 

This stack has grown. And our holiday décor has a different look about it than past years. 

Enjoy your simple moments, they are fleeting! And may you have a wonderful holiday season! 

In the Beginning - How I Got Started

I stood at the window, holding my sweet newborn baby. I studied these majestic mountains in my new back yard. So close I could walk right out the door and up into them, I would one day, hike these trails. But for now I knew. I knew this new home would be a home of healing. For all of us. 

Postpartum depression hit me just a day or two after Bunny, our youngest, was born. I remember standing in the hotel room with all my kids around me and just bursting into tears. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't hide it. The joy that I felt after each of my other kids was replaced with a sorrow as deep and as black as the ocean. 

*********

One of the most common questions in the blogosphere is, "why did you start your blog?"

This is a question I have avoided for the past two years. I've tried to write about it, but then I would decide I wasn't ready. For some reason, however, I keep coming back to it. Like it's just got to be out there for me to move on. On to big things that I'm really excited about. But, ok like, then there seems even more stuff that's got to be said to make even that stuff make since. 

(Ok, my California City Girl just came out big time in that last sentence.) 

But just as Charles Dickens relates in A Christmas Carol, “There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.”

Except there really isn't all that much about my story that's wonderful. Well, not to me, anyway. 

There were many events that led up to the start of this blog. 

• First we were given a book. I will share the title of this book. But not today. 

The original owner of this Guest Ranch liked to write. And when she past away, the ranch managers found a box of her journals and stories. She read them, and then had some of them published into a book. 

We arrived here just over two and a half years ago. I read the book that was left for us, as a little history lesson, and felt my calling. I had to continue the stories. I had to continue to share the adventure, the beauty and wonder of this special place. 

But there was more. I needed to heal. 

• I had to find a way to fight Postpartum Depression. 

When we arrived here at the ranch, our youngest child was 21 days old. Moving is hard. Moving with small children is harder. Moving with a newborn is even harder. But that is not where this story began. 

Before we came here, my husband worked for another resort. He works hard, he is patient, he is likable. At this resort, we found that not all the people he worked with, or for, shared these qualities. My husband found that many of the upper management (of which he was a part) would get fired if certain people were unhappy with various outcomes. He found himself outlasting all of them. Still, as we saw people come and go, we realized that it really was just a matter of time before our number was up. 

Our number did come up. On October 31, 2010. I was five months pregnant. 

I handled it well. Oh sure, we cried. But emotionally I handled everything very well. Of course I wouldn't have if my amazing mother-in-law hadn't come and spent two months with us. She was an amazing packer! She moved faster than anyone I had ever seen, getting us boxed up and ready to go. Go where? We had no idea. 

We lived in employee housing on the property and HR had told us we could stay past the usual 30 days. In fact, as time ticked on, and baby got bigger, we were told we could stay until baby came. We had one more month to go. 

Then, certain people heard about it. Certain people said no. We had to go by the end of the week or we would be charged by the day. 

We went. With no offers in sight, we put our stuff in a storage unit and got a hotel room in town. 

I tend to deliver my babies quickly. I also go a week or two early. My doctor advised me not to leave town. 

The wonderful story of how this remarkable person came into this world is another story. And she deserves to have it all to herself. But job offers did come. And so did the baby. And with her came my PPD. 

It has been a scary thing. It's been hard on all of us. I am so sorry for the torment my family has gone through. I haven't been the mother I once was. I get angry faster. This results in me hating myself more. This left me with thoughts of suicide. This escalated to a plan. 

I am medicated now. Along with PPD, people with MS have a higher rate of depression than any other chronic illnesses.

But I'm doing much better. And so is my family. We've all grown. And this litte valley in the mountains has done just what I knew it would. It has given us a place to rest and recover. 

So now we can move on to greater things. 

For the Happy Kids

It's not just an excuse...

I swear! 

Company Chicken ~ My Mama's Curry Chicken

This is my mom's recipe. She got it from one of her best friends. Now I make it, my sister-in-laws make it, my kids love it. It's actually one of the first non baby foods I fed all my kids. We have it about once a week. Plus, it's super easy.

But here's the secret: 

This is actually from a Campbell's soup recipe! My mom changed it up a bit to make it work for a larger group, cause she liked to serve this to company, as the name implies. So as I said, it's really easy, but not authentic Indian cuisine. Just really good.

3 to 4 chicken breasts (or, I use about 6 chicken tenders)
1  cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons** curry

Steam the chicken on stovetop in the water. 

(You can steam frozen chicken without even deforesting it, so easy!)

Remove from heat. Set chicken on a cutting board to cool. 

Add soup, mayo, parmesan and curry to the pot of water with the heat off. 

Whisk together. Chop chicken. Add chicken to the soup mix and put on low heat to heat through. The cheese will melt and the sauce will thicken. If it's too thick add some more water. 

Serve over your favorite rice. 

Top with raisins, non sweetened coconut flakes and almonds. 

I also like green onions on top. It adds a little more heat. 

I tend to double this recipe because my kids will sometimes eat thirds or fourths. Plus it's great for lunch the next day.

**My mom's recipe calls for 2 teaspoons curry. I have NEVER used that little, even when first giving it to my babies. And I have to say, when I make this for my parents, my Dad always raves about it. I also love to used different kinds of curry. Red Curry is usually hotter. Try it all! Find what your family likes best!

Being Famous

When I was in high school I was really into the drama club. It was my life. I am a drama geek. A thespian. I was. 

The year after graduation I ran into an old classmate who actually said to me, that she thought I'd be a famous movie star by then. Really? Ha.

No, not me. I don't have the energy for that. I am not always in a good mood. I don't always look perfect. I don't want to always look perfect!

I see Hollywood families and feel sorry for them. I can imagine the Pitt-Jolie clan getting ready to leave there house. The pep talk to be on their best behavior. Keep smiling! You never know who's frown will make the cover of Star Magazine with the caption, "Clinically depressed, is her mother causing her heartache?" 

You ever give one of your kids a look to tell them to straighten up or their getting a wallop? You ever look in the mirror while making that face? Not so pretty are ya? Who needs that kind of stress!?

But this is starting to remind me of someone. 

Oh, yeah! Me! 

In the real world, when our kids are getting on each other's nerves, not to mention your nerves, you send them outside. Go get dirty, go swing, go climb a tree! What ever! Just get out of my hair! 

But we can't do that. When we emerge from our stuffy confides, we become either the spotlight, or the interrupters! You see, when I said we are raising our kids on a guest ranch, I meant it! 

Our beautiful home over looks most of the guest's accommodations. Several of them can see my kitchen door from their bathroom window. The horse hitching posts are straight out my living room. I love to watch them load up every morning. The trail starts at my driveway. We can wave them on as we eat breakfast at the kitchen table. Yeah, we're that close. 

We could also wave them on from our master bedroom. I could lay in bed and watch the guests ride by. (If I wanted to.) 

We have lots of beautiful views and big windows to take in those views. One of the first things we did when moved in was order window coverings! 

As amazing as this little valley is, and as great this excperiance is, I do sometimes feel bad for our kids when we want them to be on their best behavior. 

But I have to say, the guests do tell us all the time how well behaved our children are. 

And they really are great kids! If I do say so myself!