tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40245719213129859362024-02-06T21:50:11.148-08:00Trace TimeHumor, style, art, motherhood, politics and watching the world go 'round... This is What I Really ThinkTraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-79377698586874814992013-08-20T23:04:00.001-07:002013-08-20T23:04:01.122-07:00Stunning Stapleton Home for SaleLooking for something <a href="http://homesite.obeo.com/Viewer/Default.aspx?tourid=814719" target="_blank">roomy in Stapleton</a>? This five bedroom/3/5 bath home has a beautiful blend of the traditional and a bit of whimsy. Great gardens and a large corner lot. Care to take a tour? <a href="http://homesite.obeo.com/Viewer/Default.aspx?tourid=814719" target="_blank">Click here</a>TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-40103869840236550122013-03-07T11:35:00.001-08:002013-03-07T11:35:41.538-08:001048 Garfield st<a href="http://animoto.com/play/vHlue0Yb8BXJ7Cnk1YB3Bg#.UTjr7JyADnk.blogger">1048 Garfield st</a> Here's the gorgeous video that my talented son, August, made for my listing. It's pretty dang cool.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-62166278172193155302013-03-04T13:54:00.001-08:002013-03-04T13:54:26.445-08:00Sell Your House in a Weekend? Happens every day<a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/2013/03/04/sell-your-house-in-a-weekend-happens-every-day/">Sell Your House in a Weekend? Happens every day</a> Metrolist Inc. releases statistics for January showing continued strong growth in Denver's Housing Market. Any questions?TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-83343954305331183732013-02-28T18:18:00.001-08:002013-02-28T18:18:26.819-08:00Georgia O’Keeffe: the Beautiful and the DAM | Tracy Shaffer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsz5hF0LJzh9MWicDKLPcDnB_GLeVfH7NcmNKtWOf92yQA-cHCQ9_VPdRfnsmpVICmimZBkhqGvcBtU8c0HS-nNlJq94EqsCTe6dhyDs_IbJOipw3towVEaJBATVY39n1PwZEtGSG2MQ/s1600/O'Keeffe,+Georgia-Yellow+Cactus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsz5hF0LJzh9MWicDKLPcDnB_GLeVfH7NcmNKtWOf92yQA-cHCQ9_VPdRfnsmpVICmimZBkhqGvcBtU8c0HS-nNlJq94EqsCTe6dhyDs_IbJOipw3towVEaJBATVY39n1PwZEtGSG2MQ/s320/O'Keeffe,+Georgia-Yellow+Cactus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With springtime marching toward us, my mood changes like the weather. Whether sunshine or storm, the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at the Denver Art Museum lends a moment of cityfied sanctuary. Read on...<a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/2013/02/28/georgia-okeeffe-the-beautiful-and-the-dam/">Georgia O’Keeffe: the Beautiful and the DAM | Tracy Shaffer</a>TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-61786706254591514702012-12-22T23:34:00.001-08:002012-12-22T23:34:14.594-08:00The Virgin and the Badass BardHow did you go 30 years without ever doing Shakespeare? This one's personal. Read <a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/2012/12/22/the-virgin-and-the-badass-bard/">The Virgin and the Badass Bard</a> for a story of romance, Romeo's mom, Brussels sprouts and how they can make your life better.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-68423330082753916932012-12-22T23:23:00.001-08:002012-12-22T23:23:33.627-08:00Buying a Home in the Winter? You bet your ice skates!All that glitters on the housing front is not sunlit summer gold. There's plenty of shine on the snowy banks of the winter market. Read more...<a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/2012/12/19/buying-a-home-in-the-winter-you-bet-your-ice-skates/">Buying a Home in the Winter? You bet your ice skates!</a>TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-83028219005757692772012-12-14T12:19:00.001-08:002012-12-14T12:19:35.358-08:00Pulling the Plug on Christmas | Tracy Shaffer<br />
Every year I swear it will be different. Every year I vow to make it magical again but as the years fly by and special moments get lost like socks in the dryer.. that's why I'm <a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/2012/12/13/pulling-the-plug-on-christmas/">Pulling the Plug on Christmas | Tracy Shaffer</a>. Sort of.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-28735717424668296522012-12-01T22:12:00.001-08:002012-12-02T00:55:04.295-08:00Pulling the Plug on Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Last Christmas as I was doing the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, tree cutting, light hanging, pine needle sweeping and otherwise workin my a** off, I remember swearing I'd never do it again. Why in god's name would I fight the crowds, spend too much money as I check off the items on the Christmas list so that my children, who have more than they need, won't be disappointed on Christmas morning? It's been a long time since Santa graced our chimney and we don't celebrate it as a religious holiday... so what is it, peer pressure? If Jesus ain't the reason for your season, do you think American Express and Martha Stewart will take his place? As a nation of stressed-out consumers, culturally bombarded with the capitalist notion that we must spend and strive to meet over-inflated expectations, we've lost our collective connection to why we really do this.
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><i> <b> This year wants a lot more laughter and a lot less stress.</b> </i></span></div>
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In the spirit of renewal and re-connection, I gathered the boys this morning to talk about changin it up this year. "Rather than me producing the Christmas extravaganza while you kill zombies and aliens, why don't we do something good for the world, create something memorable and have a little fun while we're at it?"<br />
I hear the sigh as the cheek hits the table. Rather than ask what they want, I ask what we can we give. This isn't going over too well with the younger, while the elder lets the idea skim past mumbling his assent as he remains focused on some urgent text conversation. Not getting the input and enthusiasm I'm foolishly expecting, I dig deeper. "What do you want your Christmas to be about this year? What gives it magic and meaning?" I could have served up a bowl of boiled brussels sprouts and gotten the same reaction. "How 'bout a Twelve Days of Christmas where we exchange small things, or funny gifts?" *ping of incoming text* "What about a movie night or doing something for charity?" *sigh* "Can we go snowboarding?" young Witherspoon fils queries.</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i> <b> This year will be more about giving than getting. </b></i></span><br />
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I don't have bad kids. They're not, in this respect much different from most of the middle class kids I know. But they are part of the 47% who feels entitled to an Xbox or an iPod or a smartphone; whatever the latest invention served up to our youth for consumption. I remember last year feeling as if the joy of shopping (and I do like it) had been replaced by a sense of obligation. That letter to Santa had morphed into a list of "things mom should get me or she'll feel like crap" and it makes me sad. Maybe even sadder than the boys would feel if I pulled the plug on this whole string of blinking lights. I'm not sure if I have the ornaments to go that far, but I can guarantee it will be a Christmas to remember.
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b> This year there will be no presents, there will be gifts. </b></span></i><br />
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Somewhere between the end of the world and the fiscal cliff I intend to bring a kinder, gentler (and cheaper) holiday experience.Rather than sweat it out at the mall, we'll work it up at the holiday skating rink. Instead of online shopping, I'll Google "Things to do in Denver in December". We used to do all sorts of things when the kids were little;<a href="http://www.botanicgardens.org/events-exhibits/special-events/blossoms-of-light" target="_blank"> Blossoms of Light</a> at the Botanic Gardens, the<a href="http://denverzoo.org/zoolights/" target="_blank"> Zoo Lights</a>, the Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol. It was easy when they were young and full of wonder, each event building up anticipation of the big day. It feels harder on me now, exhausted by the eye rolls and resistance to being with the family. Perhaps the magic of Christmas is not gone, just lost in Teenville.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> <b>This year will have no electronics, it will have turn-ons.</b></i><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So... what if I bring it back? What if we can discover time within our crazy schedules? What if we replaced the standard with the unusual? There are plenty of fun and kitchy holiday things to mix into the cookie dough. What if we <i>actually</i> baked, skated, brought gifts to a family in need, or...*gasp* went to Christmas Eve at the cathedral? What if we watched <i>"Elf"</i> and made tacky Christmas sweaters then wore them around town? What if what we gave each other came from a true exchange? Just a thought.
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<br />TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-9124501122446295222012-11-13T11:46:00.001-08:002012-11-13T11:54:32.895-08:00Holiday House Guest Hell? Not so fast..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__DZX_EwGL5UxxtI2Fype2V2pMIOcRrOl9l7zpBM91MZREJEMli1Di9gg_MQMJzMZM3eX7uLYmcEjSzh71956rSmKVy957uhGg4sHo4ab3feL8ssV62b6kI8ebYa5jEO0K55BdTx-rqk/s1600/wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__DZX_EwGL5UxxtI2Fype2V2pMIOcRrOl9l7zpBM91MZREJEMli1Di9gg_MQMJzMZM3eX7uLYmcEjSzh71956rSmKVy957uhGg4sHo4ab3feL8ssV62b6kI8ebYa5jEO0K55BdTx-rqk/s320/wreath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Somehow the shopping and cooking and cleaning manage to get done; that's one "Miracle of Christmas". When it's time for the house guests to arrive and kick the snow off their boots, I want to insure I don't want to kick them out three days later. In Tracyland, happy guests mean a happy hostess so spend a few minutes and go the extra mile <i>before </i>they arrive.<br />
Having a snappy home office leaves me without a proper guest room, but the sheets get changed, sleeping accommodations are made and everyone seems to be happy. I mean…they come back, right?<br />
Through the years I’ve found a few personal touches to make my guests feel like I’m glad to have them. Here are my old favorites and one I’m adding.<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Have you ever slept on someone’s sofa-bed? Their owners preface your evening turn-in with “Oh, it’s so comfortable” but obviously they haven’t slept on it since college. Rather than have your guests spend their nights on “the rack” and their days in traction, why not invest in a mattress topper? I purchased a gel foam topper for my son’s futon and it makes a world of difference. With company coming, I ran down to Costco and bought another for the guest (sofa) bed. If you have guests who fold that thing up every night you may want a different type of topper but my family tends to spread out and stay out and the gel pad with find a post-holiday home on the other son’s bed.<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Add some flowers. Whether I’m creating guest space in the boys’ rooms, my office or in the basement, adding some seasonal sprigs brings a bright distraction. Those unexpected peach poinsettias make any room feel festive.<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sweet treats. Though I don’t go all Martha with chocolates on the pillow, I love to pre-set a few fun and useful things. Taking a tip from my travels, it’s easy to stay a step ahead by providing for their needs in advance. Arrange an extra toothbrush, toothpaste, a few bottles of water and that shampoo, conditioner and lotion from your last hotel stay in a holiday cookie tin. You may want to throw in some drugstore items (aspirin, antacids, etc), then place a few clementines, home baked cookies or some peppermint for some festive pop.<br />
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Basket of soft things. Rather than stack towels and toiletries on the bed, wrap them in ribbon and place them in a deep basket. Step it up with a robe, extra throw blanket and pillows and top it off with a small box of chocolates.<br />
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Double check the necessities. Though you may use the room for another reason, make sure your guests have everything they need. An adjustable desk lamp, reading light or bathroom nightlight, make your night owl guests feel at home, and have an alarm clock handy for the early birds. Have an old iPod and headphones? Load it up with soothing music or snappy jazz and make it handy, place a good book (one you’ve already read) and some recent magazines on the bedside table, or pick up some gallery guides and touristy pamphlets for that B&B touch.<br />
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Make all of the above easy to store and reuse.<br />
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Chances are your friends and family will be with you more than the three day limit, so make the most of their stay by starting with a warm and thoughtful welcome. Happy Holidays!<br />
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TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-48880614518209291202012-08-24T12:29:00.000-07:002012-08-24T12:29:42.923-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnnvh-34g8IX1dlIBlFM43sqEj3V25OuvHUH6ZmtWfx3hiN-25K5DEma34LxFDaSZYHrci8g0-FqiYd8_QwIbV-TEdUz61n7qYyC83sbmL-25AzZpWNHcflig1S4P9yPqCX6HKodKBqg/s1600/frontviewhouse_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="265" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnnvh-34g8IX1dlIBlFM43sqEj3V25OuvHUH6ZmtWfx3hiN-25K5DEma34LxFDaSZYHrci8g0-FqiYd8_QwIbV-TEdUz61n7qYyC83sbmL-25AzZpWNHcflig1S4P9yPqCX6HKodKBqg/s400/frontviewhouse_500.jpg" /></a></div>
Just listed this wonderful 3 bed/3 bath home in the Willow Trace subdivision of Aurora South. The neighborhood sits among rolling hills with mature trees and lots of open space. I really like the floor plan as it lives large. The flow between kitchen/great room/living/dining is pleasing and open. Great room has fireplace and 5.1 Audiophile surround sound so guess whose hosting movie night? The master bedroom is huge, closets are bigger than my house ; ) and the second/third bedrooms are nice and roomy. Great loft space upstairs to keep the little ones close or use for study/gaming area. Over-sized two car garage with secure storage. Partial basement is insulated, plumbed and egressed; ready for your finish if you need more space and Cherry Creek Schools! This house is totally move in ready and I can get you into it for $1000! <a href="http://homesite.obeo.com/743606">Click here</a> for more info and the Virtual Tour.
Nice to hear from you!
Tracy
<a href="http://www.tracyshaffer.com"> www.tracyshaffer.com</a>TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-37764629503301562282012-08-23T12:07:00.001-07:002012-08-23T12:07:08.163-07:00WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION | Tracy Shaffer<a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/2012/08/22/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation/">J</a>uly housing stats are in and they're looking better than your new school clothes! Our hot, hot summer did more for the Denver housing market as real estate rose to match the temps.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-54592295829507301322012-08-23T12:05:00.001-07:002012-08-23T12:05:20.720-07:00How Affordable is Denver Home Ownership? Glad you asked. | Tracy ShafferHow do you know how much home you can afford? For that you should call your lender. On a larger scale, the Home Affordability Index factors in home prices, income levels and mortgage interest rates to calculate 30 of America's top cities. Where does Denver rank?TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-24042474564196761052012-08-23T12:02:00.001-07:002012-08-23T12:02:24.485-07:00When is a Step Back a Move Forward?<a href="http://tracyshaffer.com/">S</a>ometime you have to go back to move forward. When I moved to a bigger home further south, I got more space, bigger closets, better schools. But I lost my sense of belonging; my tribe. How do you know if a move is right for you? It may take time...TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-82226947031573583652011-12-23T19:37:00.000-08:002011-12-23T19:37:01.682-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjVeT_tfiq_F-0Ld2oByohN05Q_Aewfa-zlGqP7GDrmr57OWAQJbM0dkDO3fp_bGWKB536fgQAAQRFTcr6kJy0ME39p1uk7VN1FHsQ2hSivXtG5Y2E2wbW2NldDCHOXSNWAmy15O9d2M/s1600/christmas+child.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjVeT_tfiq_F-0Ld2oByohN05Q_Aewfa-zlGqP7GDrmr57OWAQJbM0dkDO3fp_bGWKB536fgQAAQRFTcr6kJy0ME39p1uk7VN1FHsQ2hSivXtG5Y2E2wbW2NldDCHOXSNWAmy15O9d2M/s320/christmas+child.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<!-- end tag cloud : generated by TagCrowd.com : please keep this notice -->TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-7306315066233541082011-08-15T10:29:00.000-07:002011-08-15T10:29:15.151-07:00A BRUTAL WEEKEND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJEghkBActOUm_w0iSsOo-wX8KCGf0JFgsoxlggHLvgKSOWtUoApIbOyJYQ968TRa1sK2-fEBTTKiE-ykqpeyzvf3OmVc76g8xbZi33UNZ2UmogE_7p3TrXKbhlopWJlUMQ-xw4Fx5Wo/s1600/cage+fight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="237" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJEghkBActOUm_w0iSsOo-wX8KCGf0JFgsoxlggHLvgKSOWtUoApIbOyJYQ968TRa1sK2-fEBTTKiE-ykqpeyzvf3OmVc76g8xbZi33UNZ2UmogE_7p3TrXKbhlopWJlUMQ-xw4Fx5Wo/s320/cage+fight.jpg" /></a></div>As my first week of the year without the boys drew to a close, I chose to leave my quiet cocoon and venture out into the world. What I found out there was brutal. Thursday, Paragon Theatre Ensemble for their critically acclaimed production of “A Lie of the Mind”. Centered in the eye of the storm following an episode of domestic violence, it is anything but calm in this eyeball. Sam Shepard’s turbulent 1985 family drama is an unblinking stare into our perceptions of love and the realities we choose to face…or not. Severely beaten by her husband, “Beth” suffers from traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and a shattered heart. It’s a difficult piece to watch as each of the characters plays according to his/her own set of rules, yet engaging as they are unwittingly committed to their convictions, even as they begin to unravel. Images from the Shepard landscape, a shotgun wrapped in the American flag, hauntingly howl at our modern culture as like the whisper of a locomotive on the prairie. The only one in the wolf pack with a stammering glimmer of hope is Beth, who understands the difference between being dead and being not dead is only the sense of the love that lives inside of her. <br />
Friday night I got a text, “will b @ R&J @ 7 dress down” were the instructions. The place was packed as I made my way through the crowd to the ringside. None of the men stood up when I arrived at the table; a lack of manners? More likely it was the two men fighting behind me in a cage that held their rapt attention. The waitress slinked by to get my drink order and I thought better asking for a chilled Sauv Blanc. “Grey Goose and—“ “Cranberry?” she asked. “Yes please, with a splash of grapefruit.” I said. I rarely drink vodka so anything short of an umbrella is a good disguise. “We don’t have grapefruit.” She sniffed, looking past me to another table. “Orange--?” Catching her glare, “Cranberry’s fine”. I really had no idea what world I had walked into, the closest I’d been to the MMA cage fight was a glance at the TV during an evening of UFC pay-per-view, but as a go-anywhere kind of girl I was soon enthralled. Men, women and children watching as the opponents battled it out gladiator style; round-house kicks and left hooks flying, wrapping their well-oiled guns around each other’s necks with the ultimate goal of blacking out. Wow. What would make someone want to do that? Near the top of the ticket were the two women. It was a fast and furious cat fight, the crowd going wild as one gal pulled a manic maneuver on the other. “She just threw a triangle on her” my host leaned in to tell me. “I threw a rhomboid on some bitch back in high school” I replied. The accountant at the table found that funny. <br />
After a month of political slice ‘n dice in the Senate and the bloodbath looming in the election, the London riots and the horrors of Syria, I’m a bit over-saturated by blatant aggression, aren’t you? It’s not that it has to all be pirouettes and Kumbaya campfires in Tracyland, but a bit of civility would be a refreshing break about now. <br />
When Saturday morning rose up to meet me, I logged on to the Huffington Post to comment and reply to comments on my blog. With my newly minted awareness to our hostile environs, I cringed as I clicked to see what was posted. What fresh hell will be laid at my cyber doorstep? What caustic retort to justify the certainty of one side or the other? I remained calm as I responded, careful to speak my truth without inflammation, and gladly turned off the computer. Preparing for a night out, I slipped an old Enya CD in the player and drew a cool bath to wash away the sins of our global anger. Next stop was the Riverfront Park Fashion show, an annual event that draws out Denver’s glitterati. As the rail thin 20-somethings strut their stuff on the catwalk, I recalled my own decade of starvation. After all that I’d experienced over the past 48 hours, the thought of pouring my hungry ass into a skin-tight pair of William Rast jeans, now that would be... brutal.<br />
TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-13546778552717379562011-07-27T00:07:00.000-07:002011-07-27T00:37:41.987-07:00As My Old Troupe Leader Used to Say... "Be Prepared"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNc2IlN9UqOtDx9Vs5z1VQsB59kQaor8ftfJLFQiYtoYIpzf0sQ4UOCpCIyiPzDy7NWPiDWGcvwxZ1fEQ7-po2f1AhXgpu3ULMcg2Z2-ZD-z9YX483a9D8gjp46e9qfkYUOoOuS19LW2M/s1600/girl+scout+uni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNc2IlN9UqOtDx9Vs5z1VQsB59kQaor8ftfJLFQiYtoYIpzf0sQ4UOCpCIyiPzDy7NWPiDWGcvwxZ1fEQ7-po2f1AhXgpu3ULMcg2Z2-ZD-z9YX483a9D8gjp46e9qfkYUOoOuS19LW2M/s320/girl+scout+uni.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A record-breaking heat has swathed America this July, and there’s no place hotter than the US Congress. All the political wrangling over the debt ceiling has left constituents right smack in the center of the crisis, glued to our televisions, checking for resolutions on the internet with still no word. The heat broke in Denver today, though as of yet there’s been no such luck in Washington. I took advantage of the relatively balmy temps to venture outside my air-conditioned office to visit with some potential clients; a listing and two <a href="http://tracysdenverhomes.com">home buyers.</a> The seller is concerned about where their home value may (or may not) be headed, the buyers are worried job security: one a librarian, the other in the health & beauty industry, and of course that factors into their home buying scenarios. It has been tough out there in the virtual realty world and people are understandably nervous.<br />
On my way home, I made my pilgrimage to Costco. Wandering around the aisles I noticed there were flats piled high with “emergency” items: stacks of powdered milk, eggs, mini-generators powered by the sun and ready to charge a cell phone, perhaps a Prius. I’m not much for the concept of living in fear, in fact I am mindful to release as much of it as possible in my daily meditation, but it was very clear to me how fearful we've become. And why shouldn't we be, after all? I tried to remember where it all began, this abject fear, and what had I learned in my life that had prepared me to get through it. *Lightening bolt* I had been a <a href="http://www.girlscouts.org/">Girl Scout</a> and I took that vow into my girlish heart. <br />
<blockquote>On my honor, I will try: <br />
To serve God and my country,<br />
To help people at all times,<br />
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.</blockquote>As the thunder broke and the rain slapped down upon the Costco roof, it struck me that everyone seems to be preparing for different things… <br />
• I’m prepared to make more (time), save more (money), give more (love) and spend less (time worrying). <br />
• I’m prepared to take life as it comes without feeling the need to control all the crazy stuff that’s going on around me. It’s not like I ever could, but I’m not as tempted to try. <br />
• I’m prepared to give myself as much credit for being who I am as others seem to give me. (The word fabulous does come up on occasion.)<br />
• I’m prepared to work harder, be braver and dance along the edge of whatever my own little slice of greatness may be.<br />
• And I’m ready to fall in love again… I think. <br />
<br />
(Wow. I’ve gone all Pollyanna on myself, I didn’t see that coming.)<br />
What I am not prepared to do is give up. I’m not prepared to live in fear of this life or of the world beyond. I may be afraid, sometimes petrified but I refuse to live in fear, no matter what the Congress does. Oh, and I will continue to cook beautiful things the bounty of my garden and freeze them to enjoy through the winter, but I will not hoard canned goods! <br />
Now if you’ll all make an apple pie circle and join hands with me while we recite the Girl Scout Law…<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWNxWeKQMBhhODs-ZZIEce6JzBUnNDW2yYJWYo2UFQqqXYXzfEbkjvU-olHRRUCStYYjXShR7FOMi7Auo_2PPnPBdgAFqqFCdV8cAKaaLipvOEghgco5IQfUpKvGYdJasEj1gt2C8e7g/s1600/girl+scouts.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWNxWeKQMBhhODs-ZZIEce6JzBUnNDW2yYJWYo2UFQqqXYXzfEbkjvU-olHRRUCStYYjXShR7FOMi7Auo_2PPnPBdgAFqqFCdV8cAKaaLipvOEghgco5IQfUpKvGYdJasEj1gt2C8e7g/s320/girl+scouts.aspx" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote>I will do my best to be<br />
honest and fair,<br />
friendly and helpful,<br />
considerate and caring,<br />
courageous and strong, and<br />
responsible for what I say and do,<br />
and to<br />
respect myself and others,<br />
respect authority,<br />
use resources wisely,<br />
make the world a better place, and<br />
be a sister to every Girl Scout.<br />
</blockquote>TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-25747935795138734272011-07-21T10:19:00.000-07:002011-07-21T10:19:22.171-07:00How do You Handle Rejection? Not with Kid Gloves.Why did I choose the professions I chose? Am I a glutton for punishment? Working as an actress in New York and LA, the rejections come fast and furious. It means you're out there, you have a chance at landing that agent, that role, that spot. There is plenty of time to protect yourself before you get serious and throw your hat squarely in the ring, but once you do, you're in it baby, and I found I was spent more time vying for the jobs than I did working them. The good news there is that it is a numbers game and when you're moving that fast you don't have time to worry about what you've lost, you're on to something else. <br />
When I moved from Hollywood to Denver years ago, I had a small child and plenty to keep me occupied: Hot Wheels, zoo trips and Dr. Seuss. The two years before relocating I'd lost both of my parents and became a mother. During the pregnancy and grief, I lost the taste for the game of having to be "picked" in order to do what I do. I am well trained, talented and ambitious; the spinning plates of self-esteem seemed somewhat crazy, after all you are the same person whether they 'pick' you or not. Nothing is diminished, you just don't have the gig.<br />
Becoming a writer, and more specifically a playwright has shifted the power. Now I get to experience the joy of creating <i>first</i>, sharing it with others when I'm ready. The trick here is discernment, knowing when you're ready and whom to share with. Public readings can be brutal if you don't know what you want from an empowered audience and when you ask people to come and listen to a work in progress, that's just what you do. After you've poured out your imperfect soul, you sit in a hot seat and ASK for them to tell you what is wrong with your baby. Crazy, huh? But it is part of the process. It used to be that scripts were nurtured and pruned in a writer/director collaboration with a trusted group of actors brought in as needed. Not so much anymore. Everyone's in the game; an entourage of opinions, insights and yes, rejection marches into your quiet little writer's world. Add to this, my career as a Realtor and... let's just say it's a wonder I'm not medicated.<br />
I find that most of the "rejection" I face on a weekly, if not daily, basis can be handled with one of two strategies. A.) Take a nap. And B.)Downsize.<br />
A.) Allows for the idea that I may be exhausted. Putting yourself out there on the page or in front of people is an immense output of energy. With two sons, two careers, three cats and a social life, the chances are that I'm not putting in much regenerative time. This could mean that a power nap or a meditation to bring me back to center may be all I need to "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."<br />
B.) Is a shift in perspective. Is whatever I'm experiencing right now big enough to make me stop doing what I want to do? Usually not. Even that "Big Thing" doesn't have more power than my passion. I learned a long time ago to ask myself "Would I do this, even if I am only mediocre? Would I do this without the 'Big Break'? Do I love this enough to do it for myself and the pleasure it gives me?" I can answer yes to all three questions. So when I downsize the situation, looking at it from the context of the whole, it is usually very small. It stings, but scraping my knees when I wiped out on my Stingray never made me sell the bike.<br />
Rejection will always be there if you are brave enough to take risks in your life. Discovering the greatest risks from the deepest part of yourself and taking them bring far greater rewards than the temporary feeling of emptiness or unworthiness that not being "picked" can slap you with. Swimming in the deep end gives you an opportunity to face those feelings and release them as false assumptions and outmoded conditioning. They will pass. <br />
So rather than treat myself with a kid glove approach, I throw down the gauntlet and go face to face with the fears, the feedback and the fuckers who stand in my way.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-7739280294334550672010-06-12T08:32:00.000-07:002010-06-12T08:32:27.462-07:00One-of-a-kind in Berkeley<a href="http://animoto.com/play/w9CvOt4FSPaDUc2hxCZVpg">One-of-a-kind in Berkeley</a><br />Beautiful new listing in the Berkeley/Highlands, one of Denver's hippest neighborhoods.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-68165350583232594452010-04-26T08:00:00.001-07:002010-04-26T08:00:55.651-07:00The Morality of a Short SaleIs walking away from a home when you're upside-down immoral or simply a financial deal that didn't work out? This question was put to the group of real estate professionals recently and the discussion, especially when it came to the million dollar market, exploded.<br />
<br />
For many low-to-mid-range homeowners the scenario goes like this: buyer purchased a home when the market was high, with an adjustable rate mortgage and bought at the top of their game. Time goes by and the ARM resets, doubles the mortgage and blows the family out of their budgetary waters. Add a major life change; wage cut, job loss, illness with or without health insurance and our humbled buyer, sinking deeper into debt drifts closer to the mouth of foreclosure. But should a higher price point or a higher income stream make a difference?<br />
Consider the family who buys a $1.5 million hilltop home in 2006 with the Denver market at its peak. Using a stated income loan and 5% down, they move in and comfortably pay the monthly mortgage. Over the next few years home prices decline and their $1.5M home has depreciated by $250k of its former value. In the midst of an historical banking crisis, recession hits, banks stop lending leaving the homeowner unable to make his employee payroll. He puts his home on the market, jumbo loans have all but dried up and his neighborhood's filled with vacant spec homes selling at deep discounts or falling into foreclosure like a McMansion of cards.<br />
There has been a lot of criticism lately of the high-end buyer, yet it may not be as cavalier as it may seem. The tricky part with a high-end short sale is that though the seller can prove hardship, they may have assets which don't allow for bank approval. Like homeowners across the income spectrum, many of them in the million dollar range, they burn through much or all of what they've got, waiting for the market to turn around, in an attempt to save their FICO score and face. Is there any difference between homeowners who look at their balance sheet and realize they've got a liability on their hands or the option of starting over? We understand the relief for the homeowner put into an adjustable rate mortgage at 8% interest, who now has no job and no ability to refinance. But should our empathy be limited to those who purchased homes under $200,000?<br />
<br />
Most of us begin with integrity and every intention of repaying our loan. Inherent to the process is the understanding that at its heart, buying a home is a business deal. You loan me the money, I pay you under the agreed upon terms and interest rate, if I default you have the right to redeem your secured asset, my home.<br />
<br />
I've seen short sales where I've walked away empty-handed, scratching my head in wonder...A seller in an under $100k price point submits a short sale offer to the bank, and after waiting seven months for approval he's denied under FHA guidelines for having too much income. In the meantime, he moved with his family to a larger home in a nicer neighborhood, courtesy of his mother-in-law. A mid-priced listing went under contract with a buyer on a VA loan and got approval from the lender on the first mortgage. The second agreed to settle, provided the seller could make one payment of $400 to keep the loan from hitting 180 days late. Though this payment was feasible for the seller, she decided against making it; she is set to file bankruptcy anyway. These are good people, making bad decisions under awful circumstances and there will always be those who try to skirt the system. But the system is set up to protect us equally and it is up to the bank to approve or deny the short sale on a case-by-case basis.<br />
In an effort to let more Americans stay in their homes, this month the government put a new program into effect. With sellers waiting far too long before applying, loan modification under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) has done little to stem the tidal wave of foreclosures. The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative (HAFA) attempts to go further, offering financial incentives. Currently the seller is not allowed to take a penny from the closing table, but HAFA allows $3000 for borrower's relocation assistance, $1500 to cover servicing costs and up to $2,000 for investors who allow a total of up to $6,000 in short sale proceeds to be distributed to subordinate lien holders, on a one-for-three matching basis. Will this help? Only time will tell, but borrowers may now receive pre-approved short sale terms before listing the property and that should help expedite the process.<br />
<br />
So... is the short-sale-as-business-deal much different morally than an off-shore account to lower one's taxes? Or cheating on them? I don't know. But with tax day just behind us, it looks like we'll all have to belly up. Equally.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-78375670572901833442010-04-26T07:59:00.001-07:002010-04-26T07:59:05.109-07:00Create Denver Week 2010I'm always a bit leery of special events called "Expo" "Convention" or "Rally." The names conjure birds of a feather picking through rows of vendor tables, snagging pens and key chains for their swag bags, and popping from workshop to seminar in search of the The Next Big Thing. Perhaps it's my fear of living in a corporate structure, or the year I spent on the road riding up a hotel elevator filled with drunken conventioneers, but "Create Denver Week," kicked off by tomorrow's all day "Create Denver Expo," has me in paradoxical state of intrigue and trepidation.<br />
<br />
As a founder of the Thriving Artist Alliance and Create Denver Week exhibitor/participant/presenter, I'll be actively engaged with my swag squad and workshop poppers. There's no easy exit. But a little voice inside - or is it wishful thinking? - tells me this Expo will be different, special.<br />
<br />
For the last four years, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs has brought together the creative community and the local businesses that support them for a group think about the Petri dish that is Denver's cultural scene. And getting everyone, including some very heavy hitters, into the same room to talk strategy, policy, programming initiatives, technical assistance, and arts advocacy seems to be working. Colorado creatives are large drivers of Denver's economy, and so it makes good sense for the city to invest its time and focus here. But often cities don't make sense.<br />
<br />
Mayor Hickenlooper calls this year "splashy," and with multiple mingling ops, he might just be right. On top of the all-day info-slam of the Expo, events are planned throughout the city, throughout the week .<br />
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Saturday's workshop topics include Turn Your Passion for the Arts into a Thriving Business, Arts-to-Business Marketing, Building Wealth with Real Estate, Performance on the Fringe. The one that hits all my buzz words is Time Management; the Artist and the Internet presented by MakeBigArt. Experts are on hand to review portfolios, as well as attorneys to answer copyright questions. There are presentations on the subjects of health insurance options for creatives, financial assistance, and business start-up, and an exhibition hall where you can find an expert to scratch whatever your itch.<br />
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I'll be there too, wandering the aisles, collecting pens and key chains, working the booth, handing out pens and pamphlets, my Expo aversion only mildly concealed behind a smile.<br />
(I trust you will find me smiling.)<br />
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As the week unfolds, there'll be more skills and thrills, with events such as Yoga & Hoop Dance, Denver Kids Create, with the Flobots.org folk, a Pop-up Market, a Thriving Artist Alliance panel From Survival to Success to Significance, and of course the Launch Party.<br />
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Sounds like there's plenty here to stimulate thought and the senses, but one dark thought plagues: Do we have a week's worth of attention span? Hope so. Part think-tank, part talent show, part party, Denver should be alive with the buzz and frolic of the Creative Class. I for one am eager to see what programs are in place now that have come out of the Create Denver initiative and what will grow out of the week ahead.<br />
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What do I want out of all the activity? I'm hopeful about new connections made, old ties strengthened, and ideas - perhaps The Next Big Thing or two - generated. Our mayor seems to have a clear vision about his desired outcome: Hick's office is looking to position Denver as "The Creative Capitol of the Rocky Mountain West." But that sounds so yesterday to me. Aren't we that already? I mean, what are we up against: Laramie?TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-40277831080219244492010-04-26T07:55:00.001-07:002010-04-26T07:55:49.009-07:00NY, LA, Amsterdam... Denver?I wouldn't say I've lived a Big Life, but decidedly larger than medium. Call it medium well.<br />
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I spent my childhood on beaches, in swimming pools, and racing around the back lot of MGM Studios. Flying on my purple Stingray through the streets of long-abandoned sets, in-between sound stages, chasing seagulls and stars. There were few signs of the straight line, the bumpy road and circuitous route that would lead me to a bike path in the Colorado Rockies.<br />
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Along that road I worked as an actress in New York, Hollywood and theatres around the country. I traveled the world and met legends: movie stars, rock stars, art stars, captains of industry and heirs to a throne. My familiars included Tony winners, Grammy winners, Oscar and Emmy winners, Pulitzer Prize candidates, Smithsonian inductees, who taught me, shaped and mentored me. There was the invitation to lunch at the White House, an accidental dinner with Warhol: my life, medium well. Meeting billboard-size people seems to be in my cards.<br />
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When we moved to Denver Fall was in the air. As the movers were unloading the truck, we plugged in the TV at the exact moment the verdict was being read in a murder trial involving of our former neighbor, Nicole Brown Simpson. I was glad I'd left LA. Unpacking myself and my young family, I settled into a town full of strangers, snow, and a "Plan B" I was none too thrilled with: a toddler, a television and Oprah were my only friends that winter... until she turned on me. We were sitting in my living room. I was on my couch bandaging my foot from yet another casualty caused by an unseen Lego. She was she in Chicago on her couch. The cast of an upcoming movie sauntered out on to the stage, gracefully plopping themselves down on in the hot seat. Staring blankly at the screen, wrapping gauze around and around and around my tiny wound, I realized I'd worked with the people behind the smiles, the bitches who had stolen my life. In a flash, it hit me.<br />
"OH MY GOD, I'M A MIDWEST MOM!"<br />
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I'd gone from Hollywood and Vine to dying on a vine, from playing on the streets of Oz to a cow town close to Kansas. Like Dorothy, if I told anybody where I'd been and who was there with me, they'd cluck in disbelief. Cary Grant and Ava Gardner, Billy Barty, and a Beatle.<br />
How's a girl gonna keep that inside forever?<br />
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That cold winter's truth delivered the promised bulbs, as I began to trade the holler and congestion of L.A. for an open space where I could hear my thoughts. Manhat-tenacity morphed into a soft determination and my gloom gave way to creativity I'd never known before. Preferring not to spin my wheels I took a spin around this hood and what I found delighted me: smiling people, art galleries springing up, theatres, museums, one of them growing a brand new wing. All those things one takes for granted in a larger city were springing to life here in living color, and everything was a whole lot more accessible. Just like that I fell in love with my new home and got busy intersecting the roles of mother/actress/playwright/REALTOR® to create a vortex called the Thriving Artist Alliance.<br />
Oh... and I am still meeting some amazing people.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-37684323383967132882010-04-26T07:34:00.000-07:002010-04-26T07:34:23.962-07:00Lodo's Culinary Wonderland.Spring fever hit Colorado, creating the perfect opportunity to stroll away a sunny afternoon with virtuoso chef and Foodswings owner, Brian T. Jacobson. First stop, coffee at Paris on the Platte; Brian swinging in with his energy as fresh and delicious as the food he cooks. Dipping biscotti into double espresso, we talk food, spices and the five essentials I must have in my kitchen. Brian leads me down the spice trade routes and into my very own culinary Age of Discovery. We speak of Dutch West Indies Trading Company, talk of blends, balance and the culture of cardamom. Trading the secrets of pepper and hanging on his every word, and armed with my vintage parasol, I’m restless to sojourn in the sunshine. Under the umbrella of a turquoise floral print, I link my arm in Brian’s and saunter up Little Raven to the Savory Spice Shop.<br />
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Savory is the love child of Mike and Janet Johnston, who in 2004, opened their hearts and their spice cabinet to bring some big flavor to downtown Denver. More than 140 original recipe seasonings, small-batch-blended on-site, bear names like Pikes Peak Lemon Pepper and Lodo Red Adobo. Sidled up next to the blends are rows of exotic and common (like me) spices from around the world. Freshly ground and sold in large or small amounts, you can buy just what you need or as much as you like. Brian’s current favs are Berbere Ethiopian Style Seasoning and an Italian Black Truffle Sea Salt that smells of an earthy heaven. Whispering together about the mixes and the meats to rub them on, Brian leads me to a wall of infused sugars in flavors like lavender and vanilla bean. My mind was racing with my taste buds chasing after in a flush of excitement I rarely feel… the urge to cook. Following that urge just got easier as Savory premieres their new Food Network TV show, “Spice & Easy” this month.<br />
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On advice from the chef, which is close to doctor’s orders, I throw some Herbs de Provence Sea Salt, Bohemian Forest European Style Rub and Cherry Creek Seafood Seasoning into my canvas bag, pay the winsome clerk and we breeze out the door. Heading south on 15th Street toward Market, and feeling oh so European, Brian stops mid-step in a brain-storm, cooking up ideas for the Biennial of the Americas. Heading up the cuisine committee for the July event, he’s alive with ideas on whom and what should be included in month long celebration. <br />
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When Telluride Inside... and Out editor Susan Viebrock told me about Evoo Marketplace I didn’t get it. A store that only sells oil and vinegar? I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea… until I walked through the door. Located in one of Denver’s oldest buildings at 15th & Market, light streams in the high, arched windows, bouncing off the polished steel canisters called “fusti.” These rows of fusti hold some of the finest extra-virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars from across America and around the world. The concept is try before you buy. We made our way around the shop mixing flavor infused oils with complementary vinegars and dipping delicious bits of bread from The Denver Bread Company to taste our creations. Each combo delivers excitement, both in flavor and the things you choose to blend. I particularly liked the Roasted Garlic oil with a Meyer Lemon balsamic, and the Blood Orange oil with Dark Chocolate vinegar. EVOO owner, Mick, is very customer-centered, sharing his passion and hospitality with ease. I think the only words that came out of my mouth that half hour were “OMG”.<br />
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The perfect finish to our lovely day was a stop at Tag Restaurant on Larimer Square for “Social Hour”, with Baja Tacos, Da Bomb Sliders and the Mojito of the Day.<br />
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With the grill heating up and the fresh summer produce headed your way, I’m thinking a trip around our Culinary Wonderland makes parking in Lodo worth it!TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-11024318609653695462010-04-17T16:40:00.000-07:002010-04-17T16:40:27.150-07:00"Different, not less"What a wonderful morning! One of those where it’s a bit overcast and you’re wishing you’d never scheduled those outside meetings on a Friday because you’re so content to work from home. That is how the silvery light in my golden room looked today as I roused myself and vowed to keep my commitment. I’d set up coffee and an interview with Brooke Young, Autism Specialist with the Colorado Department of Education to discuss autism; not something I normally bounce out of bed for. I headed downtown to one of fifteen Starbucks in a five block radius, ordered my Joe and asked around to see if any of the blondes in line was Brooke. Feeling luckily out of luck, I sat to write and enjoy my overpriced java, secretly hoping I was at the wrong Starbucks and guiltily scrolling the Blackberry to find her number. A minute later in walked Brooke, apologetic for having gone to the wrong Starbucks, along with Gina Quintana, Significant Support Needs Specialist, also with the CDE. And the next two hours of conversation were amazing! <br />
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a cognitive disability identified by a triangle of attributes within target areas of brain; communication, social relatedness and repetitive behaviors. Many of us function well in the world with slight variations in these areas of neurological development, but when added together they prevent social adaptation for the person with ASD. There is no known cause and no cure. What we do know is that the numbers of children being identified is growing globally at a staggering rate, each one exhibiting the disorder individually. As Gina put it, “To know a child with autism is just that”, the philosophy being person first, disorder second. <br />
The movie “Rain Man” is to autism what Helen Keller is to the deaf/blind community. They were both anomalies that brought mass attention to our brothers and sisters living with these disabilities but to Brooke and Gina they are sweeping generalities. No one knows what it’s like to live with autism except for those who have it, it’s hard to even imagine. The hearing/sighted world can establish empathy with the deaf/blind experience through sensory deprivation, but it’s impossible to wrap your head around the autistic experience. And though we see commonalities within families of children with autism, even their experiences are singular because autism presents in such a wide variety of ways. Television shows are on the bandwagon now with the introduction of characters with autism, most recently “Parenthood”. So far, it is the HBO special on CSU Professor, Dr. Temple Grandin which presents the most practical, pragmatic look at autism. Temple's mother, Eustacia reframed the challenge: "Different Not Less," with the banner that she waved to threads. <br />
Ms. Young is headed to the Southwest Region this week to implement a model program of training and dialogue between educators, families and students in the Telluride, Ouray, Ridgway, Norwood and the West End. Having spent my Friday morning in the inspirational and compassionate company of these two, I can’t help but think how lucky the families and students they so fervently serve are.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-83609536337702244962010-03-22T09:35:00.000-07:002010-03-22T09:35:01.262-07:00Post-GRADUATE: what I got back by putting outAfter a prolonged ‘heartbreak hiatus’ from theatre, I really felt no need to step back onto the stage. The slow slide of a dramatic divorce, sudden shock of single motherhood, and a stairway fall that took my brother’s life were enough to send me to my room and though life was good, I was not ready to come that far out. Long before the sideways years I’d fallen out of love… or so I thought. Twenty- five years of acting had left its mark. I was tired of having to be given ‘permission’ by the casting process in order to create. I loved the times when I was ‘first’ but exhausted by the times being ‘second’. “Lift yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again” sounded like heavy lifting where acting was concerned so I chose to let this deeply defining part of me go. <br />
And I’d been writing plays: loving the lines that I wrote, accepting of the ones on my face. There is great freedom as writing comes in its own time, in yoga clothes and goes public when I’m damn good and ready. My plays got produced, my sons got to soccer and life was good. Even in its painful chaos, the writing (and the boys) made it good. <br />
When “The Graduate” came along I had a twinge and I ignored it. Having started a business and ended an affair I was pretty sure I was not game for risk. <br />
But I have this friend… And this friend bought me wine. And after a glass or two and veiled threats of retracting the friendship I was told of time and place of the auditions. Drunk on candlelight and viognoire I proposed the idea that “Maybe I’m not good at love or acting.” My friend, who sees me better than I see my naked self, kicked my ass in the audition door.<br />
I’m not sure what I expected form Mrs. Robinson, but I did know this: I would strive to play her complexity simply. I would reconnect with the broader theatre community. One way or another, I would have to be naked. <br />
What I didn’t know was how embraced I would feel, how at home. People showed up, not in audience numbers, but in the waves of friends and friends of friends who came: Realtor friends and soccer moms and high school friends and newer friends and theatre people, some I known and some I’d always heard of, bearing messages of good will pre and post show. Family and friends flew into town and out again, crossing mid-air paths with another jet, another friend flying in. My life in circles came together, welcoming me back from my seclusion and I was joyfully overwhelmed. <br />
Actors working show to show may take all this for granted. There are always shows that are more fun than others, casts we hate to say good bye to, and shows which can’t close soon enough. There is bitching and laughing and sometimes it’s just a job. I’ve been there. But what I learned in my post-Graduate studies is a great deal of gratitude. When you’re willing to put yourself out there, to take the naked risk, the rewards far exceed the expectations. <br />
"Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson."TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024571921312985936.post-7710646388092722132010-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:002010-02-23T17:50:05.748-08:00DEATH, FACEBOOK & THE NTC: close one door, open anotherI have a feeling that except for my inner circle, most of the people who know me will learn of my death on Facebook. I’ve heard of two such loses this week as the Denver theatre community bids farewell to two beloveds. First it was Renye, a much loved artist who fell to cancer and days later the death knell of the National Theatre Conservatory. The one is inexplicable, the other begs for answers and I, the optimist, believe there is re-birth at hand.<br />The NTC was former Denver Center Artistic Director Donovan Marley’s baby; his vision for sustaining the future of the American Theatre through the impeccable training of the actor. It brought much to the then fledgling Theatre Company and far more through the years. Having bright young talent in our midst has kept us young and connected to why we began our own journeys in this profession. The impact the alumni have had on the world of and beyond Denver is impressive; I’m blessed to have known so many of them.<br />From the outside this feels like a drastic step. But in the post 911 years I’ve watched the adjustments made to production budgets, the job cuts and their duties consolidated in an effort to keep the Conservatory alive within a difficult economic climate. Though I cannot explain their decision, I am certain that the “Powers That Be” within the DCPA considered the options carefully before slashing this jewel. Like many have noted and all of us hope, perhaps with the National Charter, it may find rebirth.<br />As a Realtor in this market, I know that change is constant and things in the Denver theatre community have changed. Under the vision of Artistic Director Kent Thompson a new nurturance of artistic talent is taking place at the DCTC as the New Play Summit bears witness. I am not sure it’s fair to say that the future of the American Theatre is enriched more by investing in acting talent than in writing talent, for the nurturance of artistic voice and vision further our society regardless of the medium. God knows I’m not in favor of closing the NTC, but let’s not take our eyes off of the good that IS happening here. A fearless and risky commitment to the development of new plays is nothing to sniff at. In fact, finding new stories and discovering new ways to tell them is surely the best way to ensure the health of the theatre and the employment of all of its artists.<br />For years I heard an endless drone of white noise grousing about how the Denver Center was hermetically sealed to local talent, but that too has changed. Through the efforts of Mr. Thompson, Bruce Sevy and former DCTC casting director Sylvia Gregory among others, many talented Denver actors have been seen in plays and employed by the Center in the past few years. A great deal more interest has been paid to our talent pool and I believe that we’ll see more. <br />So rather than seeing only loss and feeling anger, perhaps we should stay focused on the gifts we’ve been given and the rebirth ahead; for Renye, and for the NTC. And if you hear of my untimely demise via Facebook, keep the wise cracks to a minimum. Or better yet, keep ‘em comin’.TraceTimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081092384579988219noreply@blogger.com0