Day 948

We sadly had to leave Jackson Hole. But I have to admit I was glad we were leaving. (Note to self: never, ever plan a high-elevation trip without first consulting the lung doctor.) I do hope to go back someday, but oxygen will be at the top of my packing list. I had a heck of a time of breathing so I will never make such a mistake again.

I have to go back. If not for the National Park then for the beautiful drive between Swan Valley and Palisades Reservoir in Idaho. The fall colors, the river, the snow capped peaks, the numerous osprey nests. We stopped so many times for so many pictures. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Day 947

When we got home from the Suck the Marrow Tour 2.0 in July we started talking about where our next adventure would be. For me it was an obvious choice. A place I've always wanted to go, a gorgeous place that would provide lots of spectacular picture taking opportunities. So we made our reservations back then - nonrefundable - so we couldn't make some lame excuse not to go.

But that was then and this is now. While it hasn't turned out exactly as I hoped I can't complain. I get to stay in a cabin in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I get to wake up to snow. Looking at the side mirror on my car it appears to be quite a bit.

But where we really planned on going was Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Except it is closed just as are all the National Parks. It didn't stop me from taking some pictures, but just not exactly the ones I thought I'd be taking.

Thank you, federal government, for this picture:

But look at these two I got anyway.

Day 946

A lady coming down with a chest cold. Vacationing at 6000+ feet. Only one lung working. The combination of the three made me spend the entire day in this room, mostly in the bed sleeping. Not the best way to start a trip. But at least I get to stay in my dreamy one-room cabin.

Day 945

As I was driving last evening looking at the beautiful sunset and the clouds with the orange and pink tint to them, I was thinking about my suck the marrow and I choose joy beliefs.

I realized I have a dream life.

I have people who care about me and support me, I have a paid-work life and a non-paid charity work (sewing) life that I truly enjoy. When we have time off we get to travel and with the assistance of my scooter I've been able to experience new places. We have a too-big-for-us house which we plan on selling in the next few years and have a much tinier place, closer to kiddo, already purchased.

2 bedroom, 2 bath. Not exactly as tiny as I thought it should be, though. I wanted to sell everything off and live in a one room cabin. In hindsight, I'm glad we didn't go that small. These next few days will be a test to see if that one room would have worked.

We have a couple days off from school and tack that onto the weekend and we've taken a little jaunt to another state. To stay in a one room cabin.

Day 944

Am I over 400 stockings? Well each stack is 25 and I have 23 stacks. Wow.

Day 943

I was a bit sad today when the mail lady drove by. Whereas the last two mail days she came into the driveway to deliver boxes of donated fabric, today she briefly stopped at our mailbox to deliver the junk mail then drove on.

I might even had said something like "boo hoo" to myself but since my new motto is "I choose joy" I didn't dwell on it. I just thought about all the scraps I still had to work with.

And I was still feeling joy when I picked hubby up from school. I might even had said something like "yay" when I saw what he had in his hand. Fabric from a co-worker of his. I cut 11 more stockings from her pretty green fabric. Thanks to Mary who works in Marsing but used to work in Homedale.

Day 942

As I was cutting stockings today hubby asked me how many were already cut.

I have no clue.

Between the ones I already did, the strips I've been piecing together, the 76 from Marie's fabric (yep, Lisa you were right) and the 60 from Joan's material in today's picture I've lost count. While I've stacked them in groups of 25 those stockings have migrated from my table to boxes to baskets to the tops of boxes and baskets. I keep telling myself I'll get them all in one spot and then count them. But with fabric strips and scraps everywhere (including the floor - sorry hubby!) I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Tomorrow will be a new day.