The Need for Creede

Hey Everyone! Well, Memorial Day has come and gone and it was a wonderful one for us. Thomas and I went to Creede for 4 days. My parents arrived for the summer about a week earlier and Thomas's dad also made the trip. It was the most relaxing and enjoyable trip imaginable. The weather was absolutely perfect! Town was not too busy given that it was Memorial Day though. They were supposed to have Taste of Creede where all the shops have outdoor booths and sell samples of their wares. Mom, Dad and I went in on Sunday for it and though there was a live band on Main Street, the only shop to partake in Taste of Creede was the Firehouse. This is one of the quirks of Creede - you never know what to expect. We did get to see a good bit of the artists' paintoff though. Local artists paint a picture in an hour and then an auction is held. The other big news is that the quickly melting snow has caused all sorts of trouble for the town flume and they had all these bulldozers digging up the creek. This was a rock hound's dream! My dad was extremely excited and he and my mom found rocks with huge chunks of amethyst and small veins of gold in them. I could not believe it!

Thomas and I were thrilled to see the progress made on our little cabin at Plan B. The cabinets and countertop that we picked out have been installed as have the fir wood floors in the main room. The floors especially are gorgeous! The cabin really looks amazing now - it's hard to believe it's the same one as last summer. The only things left to do are put in the kitchen and bathroom floors and this should happen soon. Thomas should have pics up on his site soon. We've also started getting some basic furniture put in it. Thomas and Tom went to Alamosa on Sunday and got a great pullout couch. It was a miracle as everything in the valley is closed on Sunday, but they did a great job. They also got some chairs for the kitchen table. The cabin is definitely ready for occupation. And just in time, since Tom and Marlene and Allison and Jess are all coming for the 4th. I can't wait!

I completed my cooking lessons right before we went to Creede. In the last lesson, we made Steamed Mussels, Braised Pork Roast, Sautéed Potatoes, Braised Leeks, and chocolate mousse. Braising was the main technique we were taught - it basically means cooking something in a sauce that goes halfway up the item. This was a pretty complicated lesson but the results were delicious! I'll definitely be trying the mousse and pork roast. I cooked a dinner for everyone in Creede on Sunday night and it turned out pretty well. Everyone especially enjoyed the roasted veggies and chocolate caramel custard. Thomas gets credit for grilling the steaks and my mom gets HUGE credit for teaching me all sorts of additional tricks and preventing me from burning every single thing I cooked! The next morning I made my buttermilk biscuits and they were a big success, especially with my dad. He kept asking for more....next time!

Before Thomas and I left we spent about an hour on the hill on top of our land at Plan B. The views there are just unbelievable and it's so quiet. The place definitely strikes my internal tuning fork, but Creede has always done that for me and my family. It's one of those places you either get or you don't. I'm so happy that I've been able to partially grow up there and know that I'll always have a piece of it.

Ok, in entertainment news, girls you have to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It's the worst title ever (based on a young adult book I read a few yrs ago - I now am excited to read all the sequels), but it is a wonderful movie about friendship and has great performances. Plus it stars Rory Gilmore and Joan of Arcadia. I always knew they'd be friends. Guys, you'll probably find it a bit too treacly (or at least you'll pretend you do). On my rating scale, this one warrants a Matinee.

Next time, that long ago promised wrap up of the Spring TV season. I just can't believe Deadwood's already gone!

-sunday